The Russian Sunflower
by Sam King
Summary: After growing up with a homaphobic father, Lovino Vargas doesn't think his life could get any worse. Till he is sold into prostitution for being gay. Now his only question is if he will ever see his friends again. Spamano, FrUk, GerIta, PruCan,and more
1. Papa Don't Preach

**Papa Don't Preach**

**I don't own Hetalia or Papa don't Preach**

Lovino Romano Vargas paced back and forth in front of his father's bedroom for at least a half hour before working up the courage to knock on the wooden door. Fear resonated in his hazel eyes as he heard his father's voice telling him to come in. How did he explain this to the old man? He was still in high school for crying out loud.

"_Papa_," Lovino said hesitantly, his right hand fiddled with the ring he wore on a chain around his neck. He never called his father Papa anymore, and so he knew the name would catch Octavius' attention the man almost immediately looked up from the newspaper he was reading in bed.

"Yes Lovino," Octavius said letting his eldest son know that he had his undivided attention. Lovino swallowed what spit was left in his mouth. Octavius had never been a cheerful man, maybe before Lovino's mother Romina had died, he had been, not that Lovino could really remember much of that time anyway. Besides he and his father had never really gotten along well, Lovino always had resented the fact that Octavius preferred his more cheerful younger brother who did not look like their late mother. It was a known fact that Octavius did not approve of gay people and had tried to raise his sons to view gays the same way he did. He often told Lovino and Feliciano that he looked forward to the day when he would watch their beautiful brides walk down the aisle.

Lovino and Feliciano had therefore kept their relationships hidden from their father. It had been Feliciano who had realized his sexuality first. It wasn't hard, he had never been athletic like the other boys in his class, he preferred to draw and paint. When he met Ludwig Beilschmidt, he knew then and there who he was in love with.

Lovino's realization had been more subtle. It had snuck up on him over time until one day it hit him smack dab in the face that it wasn't girls anymore that he had wet dreams about, it was the tan Spanish neighbor of his, Antonio Carriedo.

"Er," How did he put this tactfully? How could he explain that he and Antonio had been in a relationship since Lovino was a sophomore, he was a senior now, and that when Antonio returned from college for the summer they were moving in together?

"Out with it Lovino," Octavius said irritably, the two often clashed in personalities. Lovino was brash and bad tempered, but he was also insecure and afraid that everyone would abandon him which was why he had always been so afraid to tell his father about being gay.

"You know Antonio, a year older than me, our-" Octavious cut Lovino off,

"I know who the fag is." Antonio had never hidden that he was gay and his parents had always been supportive of their son and Lovino's relationship knowing full well that Lovino would not receive any support from his house. Octavius had never forbidden Lovino from hanging out with him while Antonio was still in high school, but he had often expressed his disproval of Lovino's choice of friends.

It hadn't been just Antonio; Octavius disliked Lovino's best friend Mathew Williams as well, a quiet Canadian boy who was dating one of Antonio's best friends and Ludwig's older brother Gilbert Beilschmidt. Lovino was often over at the blonde's house especially since Antonio left last year for college. Mathew had step brother Alfred, who could be annoying with his obnoxious yelling about being a hero, but he often defended his brother at school from homophobes much like Lovino's father.

"Please don't call him that." Lovino said quietly,

"I forgot you associate yourself with those vile people." The older man spat out and Lovino felt anger boiling in his chest. Anger about having to hide who he really was from the man, having to stay quiet and listen to his father rant on and on about the destructiveness homosexuals were to society, having to tell Feliciano it would be okay if their father ever found out that they were gay even though they both knew it wouldn't be. Lovino was glad Feliciano was over at Ludwig's house working on a school project with him. He didn't want his younger brother to hear what was about to go down tonight between the two of them.

"Stop! Just stop! Antonio's my boyfriend!" Lovino shouted and the look on his father's face made him glad he had not shut the bedroom door when he entered the room. It was murderous. "Well, we're engaged now, I wanted, I hope you can understand."

"Get out," Octavious said dangerously pointing towards the door. "Get out and don't come back. I never want to see you again." Lovino felt himself go numb inside, even though he had prepared himself for this kind of a reaction from his father, it still didn't stop the pain he felt from hearing it.

"And what about Feliciano, are you going to kick him out too?" Lovino asked dangerously,

"What are you talking about?" The question made Lovino laugh; at least he tried to hide it. Feliciano acted openly gay even at home though he never talked about Ludwig, he didn't try to hide his sexuality from their father, he hoped that Octavius would understand.

"Do you really think that Feliciano and Ludwig are just best buddies? Are you that blind? Feliciano has known way longer then me that he was gay."

"Don't you dare try to pull your brother into your lecherous ways? He is innocent and pure." Lovino shook his head at his father was he really that blind? Lovino would be shocked if Feli and Ludwig weren't in the middle of getting it on right now at Ludwig's place.

"Feli," Lovino said into his cell phone when his brother finally picked up after the fourth ring. His whole body shook from the rage that had built up inside as he and their father fought about his gayness. He was trying to push the tears back, because God damn it, crying was for wimps!

"What's wrong, Lovi?" Feliciano asked, he didn't sound annoyed that he had probably interrupted a really good night for them. Lovino knew he'd be cursing his brother out if Feli had interrupted him and Antonio having sex. And then Antonio would have apologized to Feli taking the phone out of his hands, and once they'd hung up, he'd make the interruption up to Lovino. "Are you okay?"

"No," Lovino admitted and that took a lot, he hated to admit that he was weak to anybody especially those he cared a lot about like Feli and Antonio. "I- don't go home tonight okay."

"Why? What happened, Lovino?" Lovino could hear Ludwig in the background asking his lover what was wrong.

"I- I told Octavius about Antonio and my engagement to him. He's a- he kicked me out. I uh- I uh might have uh let it slip about you and uh Ludwig as well."

"_Sheisse_," he heard Ludwig swear, Lovino could only assume that he had heard everything.

"_Mi dispace_."

"Where are you?"

"Matthew's house." Lovino lied; frankly he wasn't quite sure where he was anymore. After leaving the house he'd just started wandering, but he wasn't going to tell Feli that. "I gotta go. I'll talk to you tomorrow at school."

"Okay," Feli said sounding like he didn't quite believe his brother. Then Lovino pressed the little button with the red phone on it, ending their conversation.

Then Lovino continued to wander throughout his home town, trying to avoid people's stares. It felt like he now wore a big sign around his neck that said 'I'm gay'. A familiar green car pulled up beside him. "Lovino, are you okay?" Matthew asked getting out of the car and running up to him. Lovino could see that Alfred was the one driving as he parked the car on beside the side walk illegally; Alfred had never really cared for what was legal or illegal.

He wanted to say yes to Matthew, he wanted to tell him that he was just out for a nightly walk missing Antonio. But not even Alfred was stupid enough to believe that, not that Alfred was stupid, the honey haired boy just enjoyed making everyone believe he was stupid. "No, I got into a fight with him tonight." Lovino wasn't sure what to call the man he once called father. "He kicked me out."

"Oh, Lovino, does Antonio know?" Matthew asked Lovino shook his head.

"I don't want him to know. He'll get upset and he needs to focus at college right now." Lovino said, Mathew looked uncomfortable at the idea of leaving the older man in the dark.

"Do you want to stay at our place for the time being till we graduate?" Alfred asked leaning on the hood of the green car he had just been driving. His arms were crossed in a very relaxed position, but his face was full of concern, concern Lovino would have normally scorned at. But tonight he didn't care, he felt so overwhelmed.

"What about Feli? I can't just let him deal with that fucker's wrath all by himself, especially since I caused it." Lovino said,

"I bet he'll stay with Ludwig, Lovino, Gilbert loves your little brother. Not as much as my little brother but still, he won't let anything bad happen to Feli." Alfred said,

"And what if Gilbert tells Antonio what's going on?"

"He won't, and by the way Al, last I checked, I was older then you by three days." Matthew pointed out; Alfred turned his head mock pouting.

"Whatever," Alfred said, "You know we have an eleven o clock curfew and its ten-thirty right now. We need to decide what's going on."

"I'll stay with you guys, if you parents are okay with that?" Lovino said quietly, he didn't like asking anything of anybody, he was too prideful, but he knew that at this moment he needed all the help he could get. They climbed into the green car, Alfred was driving again and Lovino grudgingly allowed Matthew to sit in the passenger seat which left him in the back with all of Matthew's hockey equipment.

_The one you warned me all about,_

_The one you said I could do without_

_We're in an awful mess and I don't mean maybe- please_

**Author's Note (the part of the story where the author come out and writes a silly note): It has come to my attention that I have a lot of spelling errors, there shouldn't be so much in the later chapters cause I have become more diligent about spell check, I'm not the best speller in the world. So I am doing some re-uploading with spelling edits. Also I'm doing some revisions that need to be done. Thank you for sticking with me and reading The Russian Sunflower.**

**Translations:**

**Sheisse (there should be and s-set where there is a double s but I couldn't figure how to make that): shit (German)**

**Mi dispace: I'm sorry (Italian)**

**Papa: Daddy (Italian)**


	2. Friday I'm in Love

Friday I'm In Love

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or "Friday I'm in Love" by the Cure**

If he had to have a favorite day of the week Antonio Carriedo would have to say that his was Friday. Not because he didn't have any classes on Fridays or that it was the last day of the work week before the weekends when he could relax into his books and study for his college classes coming up the next week. No Fridays were his favorite day because that was the day of the week when his boyfriend now fiancée had agreed to start dating him two years ago and Friday was also the day of the week when Lovino Vargas had agreed to his marriage proposal. That had been almost a month ago, the two were talking about getting married over the summer in a small and very private wedding. Maybe they could even elope, Antonio mused to himself as he cleaned his dorm room.

The red numbers on his digital clock beside his bed told him it was nearing eleven o clock in the morning and if he wanted to surprise his wonderful tomato then he needed to leave soon to make it to the high school in time to pick Lovino up right as school was ending and he could avoid Mr. Vargas, Lovino's homophobic father. Antonio, who usually got along with everyone, despised the man who caused many of his Lovino's nightmares.

It was a three hour drive from the city where Antonio went to collage to his home town where Lovino still lived while he graduated from high school. He loved surprising his little tomato by picking him up some Friday afternoons and spending the whole weekend together just the two of them. The drive was always well worth the memories made during these weekends. He cranked up the radio in the red convertible, awkwardly dancing to the music while he drove. He was absolutely positive nothing could break his cheerful spirit today.

"I don't care if Monday's black, Tuesday, Wednesday heart attack, Thursday never looking back. It's Friday, I'm in love." Antonio sang with the radio glad that the weather was permitting him to have the convertible roof down.

The brick building of the school didn't look any different from the last time Antonio had been here a month ago picking up Lovino before proposing to him. Nor had it changed from when he had graduated from the high school the year before. He arrived at the school about five minutes before the bell rang to get out of school so he only had a short amount of time to wait before Lovino would walk out those doors.

But Lovino never walked out the front doors. Antonio frowned and then spotted a classmate of Lovi's. "Hey Miguel, did you seen Lovino today?" The Cuban shook his head,

"I heard that he may not be coming back to school. Something about his dad." Miguel said with a shrug. "Sorry,"

"_Gracias_," Antonio said gripping the steering wheel very tightly. Had Mr. Vargas figured out that Lovi was gay? Had he hurt him or Feli, Lovino's cute and adorable little brother who was also gay? The Cuban walked away and Antonio pulled out his cell phone pressing his first speed dial number, Lovino.

After ten rings the phone went to voice mail. "This is Lovino Vargas, if you are hearing this, this means that I don't feel like taking time out of my busy day to talk to you so fuck off."

"Lovi, that's so mean, you can't stay stuff like that in an answering machine." Antonio heard himself say.

"Shut up Tomato-bastard." Lovino growled back, and then computerized lady came on telling him which numbers to press to get what service, but Antonio wasn't really listening to it, he was too focused on the fact that Lovino hadn't picked up his phone. That meant one of two options, either A) Lovino couldn't reach his phone, probably because of his dad or B) Lovino didn't want to talk to him for whatever reason. Antonio didn't like either of the two options in his head. He had one more person to call before he would go storm the Vargas house looking for Lovi.

"Hello, this is Feliciano." Said the cheerful voice of Lovino's younger brother.

"Feli, its Antonio, Lovi wasn't at school today." Antonio said in a rush,

"I know." Feli replied, his voice had lost some of its cheerfulness to it. "He's at Matthew's house. I'm not sure if he wants to see you though."

"Why?" Antonio demanded, "What did I do now to deserve this?" He had put up with a lot of Lovino's crap over the past two years that they were dating and most of the time he didn't mind, he just went with it. Because that's the way he was and he knew that trying to fight Lovi would get him nowhere. But this was going too far, he hadn't forgotten a birthday or an anniversary ever. He always called Lovino every Friday that he didn't come to spend with him, what could he have done now to piss the Italian off so much that he wouldn't talk to him?

"It's not you, I can't tell you. Ludwig what do I do?" Feliciano cried,

"Give me the phone." Antonio heard Gilbert say, why was Feliciano at Gilbert's house and not at his own house? "Hey Toni, it's been a while."

"It's been three days since I've spoken to you." Antonio remarked back dryly, he didn't feel like exchanging pleasantries with the Prussian, he wanted to know what was going on with his Tomato.

"Look Toni, you haven't done anything wrong. Lovino has his head up his ass again, and won't let us tell you something important. You should head over to Birdies house, that's where he's been since last week." Gilbert said, Birdie meant Matthew. No one knew where the nickname had come from, but only Gilbert was allowed to use it and that was fine with everyone else.

"Okay, thanks, Gilbert." Antonio said trying to ignore the feeling in his gut telling him that his awesome Friday wasn't going to go as planned. He drove out of the parking lot and through town to where Matthew and Alfred lived with their parents.

"Hey Antonio," said Alfred answering the door after Antonio had rung the bell at least five times. He was annoyed to say the least when he finally saw the honey blond with a strange hair growth that grew in the front of his head that had been named Nantucket by the boy it was connected to.

"I need to speak with Lovino." Antonio said calmly,

"Let him in, Alfred." He heard Lovino say from inside. His lover looked tired; he had purplish bruises underneath his eyes from a lack of sleep. His usual scowl had settled on his face which didn't surprise Antonio one bit.

"Lovi, I was worried about you. What's going on?" Antonio gushed trying to hug his Italian lover, but Lovino dodged him with ease. "Lovi?" He was confused, sure Lovino wasn't the most affectionate boyfriend unlike Antonio, but he'd never purposely avoided one of his hugs before. It stung, a lot.

"I- I think we need to break up." Lovino said explaining his reason for avoiding Antonio's hug; he stared at the tan carpet underneath them. What was so interesting about it that he couldn't even look at Antonio while he said those words?

"What?" Antonio asked not believing at all what he had just heard from the Italian's mouth and he watched Lovino struggle to hold back the tears that threatened to fall from his beautiful hazel eyes. Oh how he wanted to catch all of them and tell his lover that everything would be okay. But something told him that, that was not what Lovino wanted at the moment, that doing that would only push his lover even further away. "Why?"

"Because I'm not good enough for you! You deserve someone that is way nicer then me and will compliment you and not insult you all the time." Lovino shouted, his face always looked cute when he was angry Antonio noted. He took in everything about the Italian, the green specks in his hazel eyes, the red natural highlights in his hair, his chubby cheeks that Antonio liked to pinch when they were younger. He knew deep down that he would not be able to change Lovino's mind, whatever had happened had left their relationship in ruins and Antonio was clueless as to what it was.

"But Lovi, I don't want anyone nicer, I want you." Antonio protested, "What happened? It doesn't matter how big, we can face it together."

"No we can't." Lovino said bluntly. "We're over Antonio; we were never good for each other." Antonio felt his legs move without permission from the rest of his body back towards the door. He felt hurt, betrayed, numb.

He had one foot out the door when he turned to look back at Lovino and said "You were good for me." And then he left. He got back into his car and he took off driving. He didn't stop driving till he had reached his dorm building.

"What's wrong _mon ami_?" asked his roommate one of his best friends in high school Francis Bonnefoy, the blond was laying on his bed in the dorm they shared reading some kind of porn magazine. "I thought you were spending the weekend with your _amore_."

"I thought so too till he broke up with me." Antonio admitted quietly and sank onto his own bed, despair washed over him. "I thought he loved me. I don't understand what I did wrong Francis, I tried to be everything he ever wanted and more." The Frenchman was at loss for words as he listened to his friend mourn over the loss of his lover. Antonio and Lovino were the couple that had been through hell to stay together trying to avoid Lovino's father from finding out about their secret love. And now it sounded as if Lovino was throwing that all away. Francis knew Lovino, he was best friends with Francis' cousin Matthew, and he knew that Lovino would never throw Antonio away without a good reason. The hard part would be discovering that reason.

**Author's Note (the part of the story where the author comes out and writes a silly note): First things first, neither **_**Dear Italy**_** (my GerIta fic) nor this one will be updated to next Saturday at the earliest. Why? Because I'm visiting Alfred's vital region, yep that's right good old Washington D.C. And I won't be back till Friday which gives me Saturday to recover. Other than that I think you should expect both fics to update weekly. This wasn't as long as I would have liked but the next chapter will defiantly make up for it pinky promise.**

**Added Author's Note: More spelling editing and slight rewrites. Thanks for sticking with me.**

**Translations:**

**Mon ami: **_**my friend (French)**_

**Gracias: **_**thank you (Spanish)**_


	3. Here for your Entertainment

Chapter Three: For your Entertainment

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or the song "For your Entertainment"**

It was two weeks after graduation when Lovino's life fell apart, again. He was at the bastard's house hoping he, meaning the bastard, would be at work or something so that Lovino could pick up a few things that he and Feliciano had left behind. He'd heard footsteps behind him as he walked into Feli's old bedroom to grab some of Feli's art supplies. When Lovino turned to look around for the source of the footsteps, he saw a figure dressed in black head to toe, and then felt a sharp pain in the back of his head before knowing no more.

* * *

><p>He came to lying in an unfamiliar bed with scratchy sheets and a thin blanket covering him. Standing over him was a man with shoulder length light brown hair and dullish looking green eyes that reminded him of Antonio's except without the sparkle that always seemed to exist in Antonio's yes. These eyes were devoid of every emotion but hope. "Who the hell are you, bastard? Where am I?" Lovino demanded trying to sit up, but his head spun dangerously when he tried so he laid back down again.<p>

"I am Toris Laurinatis." The boy said, Lovino now could see that Toris could be no older then himself. "And you're at the Russian Sunflower, a brothel owned by a man named Ivan Brangski." His voice was quiet and full of regret and sadness, was he sad that Lovino was here? Didn't all people who worked in brothels want to be there? Wait had he just said brothel? As in where whores and prostitutes worked? "Your father sold you to Ivan."

"That damn fucker." Lovino cursed ignoring Toris' wince and the pain he was receiving this time from sitting up. "Is my brother here as well?"

"No, I don't think so. You're the only new person here right now."

"Good." Lovino sighed and his hand reached for his engagement ring unconsciously. He hadn't given it back to Antonio; he couldn't bear to part from it. Breaking up with Antonio had been stupid and hurtful for both of them, but necessary. He couldn't allow the fucker to hurt his precious Antonio. Two days before Antonio's surprise visit, Octavius had cornered Lovino at school and threatened to kill Antonio if Lovino didn't break up with him. He had shown Lovino a picture of Antonio and Francis, Antonio's dorm mate and one of his best friends since childhood, in their dorm together as proof that he meant business.

"Will he come to rescue you?" Toris asked his thumbs twiddling nervously. He reminded Lovino of Matthew shy, quiet, full of self-doubt.

"Who?"

"The one who gave you the ring, I bet he's looking for you right now." Toris said, there was a hint of certainty that rung out in the shy boy's voice. "I know Felix is." Lovino raised an eyebrow, Felix?

"No, he's not. He's probably glad I'm gone." Lovino said his voice cracking as he thought about the wonderful Spaniard enjoying life without him there to annoy him and demand things of him.

Toris didn't rebuttal, just watched him and remained quiet. Which was probably the best way not to get his head bitten off by a distressed Italian. "You should come meet Arthur; he's kind of like the mother to all of us here." Lovino nodded and Toris helped him to his feet.

"If you don't mind me asking, why are you here? You don't seem to be like the type to sell your body." Lovino asked as they walked the dark hallways of the brothel, in the background Lovino could hear moans and screams, he tried not think about where and why they were being emitted.

"I had a debt to pay to Ivan and there was no other way for me to pay it. But I paid it off two years ago and Ivan still hasn't released me yet." Toris said sadly shaking his head. He stopped in front of a quiet room and quickly knocked on the door.

"What?" a voice snapped from inside with an unmistakable British accent.

"Ar-Arthur, it's me Toris, I've brought the new guy with me." Toris said hesitantly, looking once again nervous. Lovino rolled his eyes at the Lithuanian with issues.

"Hullo," a blond man said dressed in only boxers with very bushy eyebrows and glaring green eyes. What was with this place and green eyes? Lovino wondered, was the world trying to taunt him with the fact that Antonio also had green eyes. "Ah, so you are the new guy, word of the wise watch out. Some of our regulars are like sharks in blood when it comes to new people. We don't get them often and they like to be the first to try them out. Are you a virgin?" Normally Lovino would have become very flustered at such a question, but he figured the Britt wouldn't have asked if it wasn't important. He shook his head, no his virginity had gone out the window years ago with Antonio.

"You're lucky," Toris whispered quietly, his whole body shook. Lovino wondered if he was remembering his first time, it must have been painful since he was shaking so much.

"Well that will make it easier on you then. You already know what is entailed. That won't mean that it will be easy here. Some of the clients can get very rough here." Arthur said, "We should probably give you a tour before tonight." He walked out of his room, still only in boxers, and down the hall before Lovino and Toris had even started to move. "Well hurry up, slowpokes, we don't have all day to be dillydallying." Lovio sighed; Arthur was starting to get on his nerves and what was with walking around in only his boxers? Didn't this guy have any dignity?

"What's with him?" Lovino whispered quietly to Toris glancing up at Arthur who was at least five paces in front of them.

"Arthur? He can seem very harsh at first, but reality is that he's a very nice guy once you get to know him. He's probably the most experienced out of all of us here and he's been here the longest as well." Lovino glanced back at the Britt who had stopped with a long drawn out sigh and was tapping his foot impatiently at them.

"Are you two done chitchatting over there, we have work to do. Customers start to arrive at six and its four thirty." Arthur growled irritably,

"What do we need to get ready for?" Lovino grumbled following Arthur down the hall. "Don't we just fuck them and go?"

"No," Toris whispered, "We always put on a performance. Ivan tells us what our theme is and then we dress accordingly and then for the customers we put on a show, depending on our theme. Like if Ivan says that our theme is matador then we dress like one and act out being one very sensually for the client." Lovino cringed at the word matador; Antonio loved to watch matadors on tv. In the summer in between Lovino freshman and sophomore year, before they started dating, Antonio had gone to Spain to go to a summer program to train to be one.

"Some of us even have specialty themes." Arthur said making it aware that he was listening into their conversation. "Kiku over there almost always is a geisha." He pointed to a short Asian boy who glanced nervously over at Arthur and gave the trio a small smile. "Sadiq over there is a genie." Lovino nodded nervously at a dark skinned man who was obviously from the Mediterranean area wearing a white mask. "He never lets clients see his face; he says it adds to his persona or whatever." None of the men in the room seemed to mind that Arthur was walking around in his boxers or that they were changing in front of each other, something Lovino was mortified at. "Herakales" he pointed to another Mediterranean looking man, "dresses up as a cat." Lovino raised an eye brow that sounded kinky. Arthur stopped suddenly an evil look in his eyes before whispering something into Lovino's ear. "And watch out for their sexual tension, they get really heated with one another."

"You forgot to mention your specialty, Arthur." Sadiq said with a grin, "I'm Sadiq by the way." Arthur growled at Sadiq muttering something incomprehensible under his breath. "Another one of your magic spells, Artie?"

"Bug off you wanker." Arthur said his face flushed, "I'm a pirate." Lovino raised his eye brows incredulously, everything he had seen of the Britt so far would give him no indication whatsoever that he was a hooker never the less a pirate hooker.

"Remember the time he was a bunny?" A girl with braids and wiry glasses said, she looked like she should have been in a library and not in a whore house. "I'm Monica Bonnefoy, and you are?" Lovino almost choked on the spit he had been swallowing.

"Are you by chance related to a Francis Bonnefoy?" Lovino asked hesitantly, he could see some resemblance, and didn't Francis have a sister who had been missing for some time?

"He is _mon frère_, do you know him?" she asked her blue eyes wide,

"Yeah, he grew up with me." Lovino said, remembering how devastated Antonio had been three years ago when it was reported that Monique Bonnefoy was missing after walking home after school, she had been in Feliciano's grade making her thirteen at the time of her disappearance.

"I know you; you're that kid Toni was always hanging around. He had that really cute nickname about you in Spanish, what was it _mi tomate_ or something like that?" she said, "You're Feli's older brother." Lovino nodded trying not to wince at the casual mention of one of the many nicknames the Spaniard had come up with over their years of knowing one another. "Did they miss me?"

"Yes, Francis was devastated, as was Gilbert and Antonio. Your mom didn't know how to deal with the grief of losing you and committed suicide two years ago. Your dad, well, he became the town drunk. I'm sorry." The room had fallen quiet as Lovino gave the somber news about the Bonnefoy family. Many times Francis had crashed at Gilbert or Antonio's house for the night trying to avoid his father, something Lovino could now appreciate.

"How is Francis?"

"He's doing well, he's going to college in Montreal with Antonio, they're dorm mates actually." He tried to remain neutral when speaking about his ex-fonise but he was sure that the others were getting the hint that Antonio was not a good name to mention around him.

"Well, you know what they say about small worlds." Arthur said trying to lighten up the mood. "Come on you guys, we have to get ready. No one wants to face Ivan tonight do they?" There was a general murmur and shakes of head and people wandered back to where they had been dressing.

"Looks like its Lolita night." Toris murmured looking at the list Ivan had left for them telling them what costume to dress in. Lovino eyes widened as he saw the dresses hung up on the rack. "Ah and it looks like he remembered you as well, Lovino." Arthur walked over to a frilly red dress with lots of green lace all over it and a green apron. Attached to the hanger was a bow and a note attached to it.

"To be put on the curl." Arthur read out loud, the bow was green and had little round red dots all over it that looked suspiciously like tomatoes. Seriously did this bastard know how much tomatoes affected him? He hadn't been able to eat one since his break up with the Tomato-bastard, his affectionate nickname for Antonio other than Tonio, and now he was being forced to dress like one.

"No way, no way, I am not wearing that. I don't mix with tomatoes anymore." Lovino protested crossing his arms.

* * *

><p>The lights hit Arthur hard, but he didn't blink as the harsh rays hit his delicate eyes, no he was too well trained for this, too use to it. That should have scared him, and it did, a little. But he didn't let him bother him now while he was putting on his show. He wasn't use to wearing the dress, normally he wore a pirate costume and acted very dominate, but in the dress he felt so much like a, what was it that Kiku called it, an uke. The bottom.<p>

He was wearing a pink dress, oh if he could kill Ivan he would, with lots of white bow ties on it and bunny ears. Very remincent of the costume Monique had teased him about earlier. Maybe that was what Ivan had been thinking about when he decided that Arthur should wear this costume.

He was vaguely aware of the song playing to his sensual dance while men and women cat whistled to his show and bid to have one wild night with. God this job was tiring, but he needed it and he had made some friends while being here, Toris, Monique, Sadiq, Herakales, Kiku, and maybe this new guy Lovino.

He raised the skirt up sot that it teased his audience with the hem his black briefs while he wore his most innocent look on his face. He was so practiced at this that it came naturally to him as did fucking people and not really making love to them. He didn't care if they were comfortable or not. That wasn't his job; his job was just to follow their every order unless it would come to a life or death situation. Ivan didn't want the police on his case. Ivan didn't give a damn about any of them; he just liked the money he made from them.

And then his song ended as well as his sensual dance on stage, and the recorded announcement shouted his stage name again Iggy before shouting out the next name: Liet. Arthur absently wondered if Toris' friend was in the crowd tonight bidding as high as he could for the Lithuanian so that no one else could touch him like he did about once a month. Arthur felt bad for their situation he really did, but there was nothing he could do to help them but off his support.

Three hours later he was shoved into a room, still dressed in that ridiculous dress, and with a man who was drunk off his ass and smelt like the cheap beer the bar sold. "So what shall it be tonight?" Arthur asked sensually taking off the dress, Ivan would kill them if anything happened to their costumes, it was another rule of the brothel. No tearing of clothing.

"Anything you want baby, just make me forget tonight." The man said, Arthur half contemplated the idea of knocking the man out and heading back to his room, he was so goddamn tired. But then Ivan would be angry and he didn't want to be on the receiving end of Ivan's anger.

"Alright," Arthur agreed, he looked at the man again, well, if he was a man, he was hardly a man. Maybe nineteen or twenty at the oldest and he was kind of cute with a baby face and light brown eyes and hair.

He crawled over to the man dressed in only the black boxer shorts he'd worn under the ridiculous dress and grinded himself into the man's groin. The brunette rolled his head back and groaned in pleasure. "_Mon dieu_, you're heavenly." Arthur smirked to himself, tonight he was sure would be quick.

"Aren't I?" Arthur asked huskily reaching his hand up the man's shirt playing with his now erect nipples. There was no way this guy wasn't a virgin. Arthur rebuked himself mentally, what did it matter if the guy was a virgin, if Ivan said fuck him, then Arthur fucked him, easy as that.

"_Ou-oui_," the man agreed moaning as Arthur's teeth pulled down his pants and then took his member into his mouth. His tongue ran along the underside of it.

He hummed knowing full well that the vibrations would set the man off more than he already was. "I'm gonna-" but the man never finished his sentence as the orgasm ran through him like a wave. Arthur closed his own eyes trying to ignore the awful taste now in his mouth and hastily swallowed the cum.

He looked down at the man whose eyes were now closed and he seemed to be fast asleep. No wonder this man was going to brothels to get pleasure, no man or woman would want him if he was this much of a wuss. "Tsch," Arthur said getting up. Ivan could deal with him, he wanted to go back to his room and sleep.

_No escaping when I start,  
>Once I'm in I own your heart<br>There's no way you'll ring the alarm,  
>So hold on until it's over.<em>

_Ooh, do you know what you got into?  
>Can you handle what I'm about to do?<br>Cause it's about to get rough for you,  
>I'm here for your entertainment.<em>

_Ooh, I bet you thought that I was soft and sweet.  
>Thought an angel swept you off your feet.<br>Well I'm about to turn up the heat.  
>I'm here for your entertainment.<em>

**Author's note (the part of the story where the author comes out and writes a silly note): I'm back from my trip. Boy was it hot in DC, not that its much cooler down here in the south. Yeah I know I'm a tease with my story. Don't worry, this story will really live up to its rating in later chapters. Some that are already written and some that are still forming in my head.**

**Translations:**

**mon frère:**_** my brother (French)**_

**mi tomate: **_**my tomato (Spanish)**_

**Mon dieu: **_**my god (French)**_


	4. Somewhere Only We Know

Chapter Four: Somewhere only we know

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or the song "Somewhere only we know".**

Antonio wandered bitterly through the small park in the small town where he had grown up. Every age group came to this park, kids played on the playground, parents sat on the benches watching their kids while catching up on the latest gossip of the town. Teenagers hung out in the more grassy field across the park from the playground which bordered woods that were always fun to play man hunt in. He smiled at the fond memories of playing the game with his friends, Lovino and Feliciano may not have been much of athletes, but both of them could run, very fast. They would always have to put them on separate teams to make it even.

"Have you heard," he heard one woman say to the woman sitting beside her. "One of the Vargas brothers is missing." The other woman gasped and responded negatively to the first. "Yeah, about a week after the poor boy graduated, you know his father kicked both of them out about a month before school ended." Antonio closed his eyes and tried not to pay attention to what he was hearing. Even now, three weeks after Lovino's break up with him, he couldn't bare to hear the Italian's name.

"That man has been bitter about life since his wife died." The other woman said right before Antonio walked out of earshot of them, he was walking away from the playground now and twords the wooded area now.

"Antonio!" Feliciano waved a cheerfull smile on his face, beside him was his blond, German boy friend Ludwig and one of Antonio's best friend Gilbert. "Antonio, did you hear about _fratello_?" The Italian boy asked he no longer wore a smile on his face and despair had found its way onto a face whom it had never come in contact before.

"_Si_," Antonio said and looked over at Ludwig and Gilbert, both wore worried expressions on their faces that seemed to match one another.

"We've searached the whole town for him ourselves." Ludwig said quietly, "Lovino's not here." Antonio nodded trying to make the word sink in, but none of this felt like reality; breaking up with Lovi, and then having Lovi suddenly up and disappear leaving Antonio with only memories. It had hurt coming back home, but he needed to, he needed to warn the others.

"Is Alfred and Matthew coming?"

"_Ja_, Alfred called right before you came to tell us that they were running late due to an accident of some kind. He just said that there were a lot of fire trucks." Gilbert said shrugging, "So who knows when they'll be here? Why'd you call a meeting anyway?"

"Octavius is stalking Francis and me. We thought someone was following us for a while, since Lovi and I broke up actually. And then a week ago we got the cut up newspaper and magazine letter calling us both fags and that we were committing a crime just by existing. I'm worried about all of you guys." Antonio explained watching Matthew and Alfred walk up behind Gilbert and Ludwig.

"Sorry we're late, traffic was bad." Matthew said his cheeks tinting red in embarassemnt of being late.

"There was a fire." Alfred supplied, "Over near where you used to live, Antonio. Lots of fire trucks and ambulences." He looked at the other three who were already there. "Did we miss anything important?"

"Octavius has been stalking Antonio and Francis." Gilbert said dryly, "Maybe he's a closet homosexual who hated what he was and so he decided to become a homophobe instead." A smirk played on his lips. He put his arms around Matthew's waist pulling him in closer to his body, Antonio tried not to flinch at the brash display of affection trying not to remember the many times he had snuck up on Lovino and grabbed him like that usually getting sworn at by the Italian.

"Yes and he's secretly in love with his son's ex-boyfriend. Let's think before we talk, Gilbert." Ludwig remarked dryly, Antonio noticed his fingers were intertwined with Feliciano's. He shook his head, why was he noticing all these things today, couples were allowed to act like couples. He and Lovino had never really hid their love from the world, but that was it wasn't it? He couldn't hold hands or grab someone's waist and pull them close because he was no longer dating.

"I want you guys to move to Montreal." Antonio announced suddenly, "I'm afraid of what Octavius would do to you guys."

"We can't just uproot with a snap of the fingers, Antonio. We've got lives here." Ludwig said, "Feli and I still have to finish high school."

"Well what happens when whoever got their hands on Lovi get their hands on Feli? What if Octavius is really behind Lovino's disappearance? What if he goes after Feliciano as well? How would you feel?" Antonio asked balling up his fist in anger. He wasn't one quick to anger, but he couldn't take seeing everyone so in love and he pinning away for his love who wanted apparently nothing to do with him anymore for some reason unbeknownst to Antonio. He just wanted to make sure he couldn't lose anyone else. They were his family now, and he was going to do his damn best to make sure they stayed safe.

"Antonio's got a point." Gilbert said letting go of Matthew and crossing his arms. "What's keeping us here? We're all pretty much cut off from our parents as it is. And I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to my Birdie." Matthew flushed red as Gilbert used his ridiculous nickname.

"I don't want to stay here anyway." Alfred said, "This place cramps my style." Everyone snorted at the American's outburst.

"Let's think this over and talk about it and decided at a later date if this is a good idea." Ludwig suggested, "This isn't a desciousn we should rush into." Everyone nodded into agreement.

"Meeting ajorened then." Gilbert said using the catch phrase they had always used when saying goodbye to one another. No one really remembered how it got started.

Antonio sighed as he stopped, leaning against a lamp post on Main Street and pulled out a cigereet, a nasty habit Francis had gotten him into. He wasn't addicted to them like most who smoked, he only really smoked them when he was stressed out. Today was one of those days it seemed. Memories of high school seemed to follow him wherever he went.

"I thought you quit that awful habit." A familiar voice said from behind, Antonio tensed before recognizing the voice and sinking back into his former stance leaning against the lamp post.

"I did, I only smoke when I'm stressed out now." Antonio replied not bothering to look at his old friend.

"I'll take it that the news is the cause of your stress then. You must be worried, I know I would be if Elizaveth disappeared." The other man said pushing up his glasses onto the bridge of his nose. "But smoking won't make it go away."

"I know, but it makes the memories go away." Antonio said with a shrug blowing out some of the smoke that had built up. "How's life, Rodriech?" Rodriech Edelstein had lived across the street from him and the twins growing up. The Austrian born was proud and often needed to be knocked down a few pegs to come back down to Earth, but he was a good person. He was madly in love with the Hungarian yaoi fan Elizaveth Hedivery whom they had gone to school with.

"Going well, I'm back for summer break. Elizaveth stayed in Ottawa to do an internship there." Rodriech said moving lazily to stand in front of the Spaniard. "How was college?"

"It was fine, having Francis as a dorm mate can get interesting at times. But he's not a bad roommate." Rodriech snorted crossing his arms.

"I'm sure." Antonio sighed, Rodriech had often been the object of Francis and Gilbert's bullying while in Elementary and Middle school, the two had mellowed out in High School but the musical man was still slightly bitter towards the two. Antonio had always tried to remain neutral in their arguments; he liked being friends with all three of them.

Rodreich pushed back the strand of his hair that stuck up much like Alfred's and sighed. "Do you remember the time we put on that play in History class, the one about the Austrian War of Succession?" Antonio let out a chuckle as he remembered the play. "The teacher what was her name, Mrs. Hodge, loved it so much she made us put it on for the school." Rodriech nodded looking up at the starry sky.

"Yeah I remember, I got to kick Gilbert's ass." They both laughed at that memory.

"Man, those were the days, we hardly had any worries and life seemed so easy." Antonio said shaking his head, "If only I knew then what I know now."

"Hindsight is always twenty-twenty."

"Hey, if I remember correctly the awesome me kicked both of your unawsome asses again in our uber awesome sequel play about the Seven Years War." Gilbert said walking up, "Nice to see you again, Roddy. Where's your girlfriend?" He looked around for the frying pan wielding brunette whom he often butted heads with.

"Relax Gilbert, she's in Ottawa." Rodriech said a smirk playing on his lips as he watched his former rival freak out looking for Elizaveth. Gilbert let out a sigh of relief and stood beside the two of them.

"So what are we doing out here, reminiscing?" he asked with a nonchalant tone.

"Yeah, pretty much." Antonio said with a shrug. "Thinking about how we wished thing were different."

"You guys are so unawsome right now, you know that." Gilbert complained, "And why are you smoking, I thought you kicked that habit?" Antonio sighed dousing out the cigarette and throwing it to the ground.

"I don't smoke often Gilbert, just when I'm stressed."

"Oh," Gilbert frowned and then shook his head. Rodriech just rolled his eyes at the albino again.

"Well, I should be going. Nice seeing you again, Rodriech." Antonio said getting off of the lamp post.

"Yes it was nice seeing you again, Antonio. I hope you find Lovino." Rodriech said as Antonio waved goodbye to his friends and walked down Main Street consumed once again in memories.

_Oh simple thing  
>Where have you gone?<br>I'm getting old and I need something to rely on  
>So tell me when<br>You're going to let me in  
>I'm getting tired<br>And I need somewhere to begin _

**Author's Note (The part of the story where the author comes out and writes a silly note): Takes a sigh of relief, it's done. This chapter runs high on emotions, and I feel so bad for what I've done to one of my beloved couples. Not as bad as what's coming and that the only hint you're going to get.**

**No Translations (Yes!)**


	5. Prostitution is Revolution

**Chapter Five: Prostitution is the World's Oldest Profession  
>And My Dear I am a Professional<strong>

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia**

It didn't take long Lovino to get into the routine of the Russian Sunflower. Wake up around eleven or twelve, quietly make your way to the dining area because you didn't know who else was sleeping, after breakfast/lunch you had free time until four when you went to the dressing rooms until six, then you went backstage until it was your turn to dance, after all the dances were complete you would be assigned your 'bedmate' whom you had sex with until they were fulfilled and left and then you could go to bed. It was rather tiring and you had to keep your body in tip top shape, not that Lovino had a bad body at age eighteen.

And he had begun to make friends, well as well as Lovino could make friends. But he felt a connection to many of his 'coworkers' that he didn't think he could find in people, not that he would admit it. Arthur had taken him under his wings and showed him the ropes, gave him tips about regular customers, and showed him that just because you were a prostitute by choice didn't make you a slut. Well not really. Toris had become as close to him as Matthew had, but the two were very alike in personality so it didn't surprise Lovino that much that they were such good friends. But also some of the others he shared a dressing room with as well became close friends of his, and he learned little quirks about all of them.

Kiku liked to draw, Herakles liked to sleep when not having sex, Sadiq enjoyed listening to Adam Lambert, Arthur loved to drink tea, Toris liked to cross dress even when not performing, and Monique could fill a library with all the books she'd read. Also Arhtur was a personal favorite of Ivan's, a role Arthur hated. Ivan was rough when he had sex and often times Arthur couldn't perform the next day after having sex with the Russian whom Lovino had yet to meet and everyone called him lucky for it.

"Lovino!" the sharp voice of Arthur Kirkland said and Lovino dropped the pen he had been using to write in his journal, even as a young child his father had instilled the importance of writing in a journal. One it improved your writing technique which would improve test scores in the future, and two it was something encouraged in the army, a group Lovino's father had been a part of before he met Lovino's mother.

"Huh?" Lovino asked looking at the Britt's hay colored hair and emerald green eyes. He reached down to pick up the pen he had just dropped before looking up at the Britt again.

"It's four-thirty and you're not dressed yet!" Arthur said, and Lovino could now see that though the Britt was half naked, he didn't have a shirt so Lovino could see that the blond did not have a six pack but by no means was Arthur not fit either.

"Oh," Lovino scowled at the Brit and placed the pen in the journal and shut the book before Arthur could read whatever Lovino had written.

"Hey Toris," Lovino said as he pulled on skin tight short shorts that came to mid-thigh. He had no issue changing in front of anyone now, nor did he have any issues with anyone changing in front of him or being half naked either.

The Lithuanian was folding up a piece of lined paper with writing on it that was almost indecipherable from as far away from the brunette Lovino was. Which wasn't far. He was trying to shove it into the pocket of a costume that had no pockets. "L-Lovino, y-you scared me." The boy stammered,

"Ooo, what's that, a love letter?" Monique asked grabbing it from the boy who looked shocked that the girl had done so.

"Give it back!" Toris insisted running after the blond who acted a lot more like her brother then she originally let on.

"Monique!" Arthur shouted, he now was fully dressed and looked quite intimidating in the full costume then he normally did. The blond girl skidded to a halt as to avoid running into Kiku who was finishing up his make-up.

"Monique-chan, give Toris-kun his letter back. You know how dangerous it could be if Ivan found it." Kiku scolded, Monique nodded and gave it back to the brunette, nobody wanted him to get into trouble with Ivan.

Toris had an admirer, a boy who had fallen in love with Toris and was risking life and limp to help Toris to escape from the Russian Sunflower. His name was Felix Luncrezt and Lovino didn't know the whole story of how they met, but it sounded like a cheesy romance film. Antonio would probably coo and be all giddy about how romantic it sounded.

Antonio. The Spanish bastard, the tomato bastard, the many other nicknames Lovino had used on him that usually involved a swear or two, whom Lovino missed more than anybody else he had left back home.

Lovino shook his head and stared at himself in the mirror. He had a black open vest on that allowed his tanned chest to show with black gloves on came to his wrist and were cut at an angle to give it a more ragged appearance. He had black skin tight shorts on that came to the middle of his thighs and laced up boots that were at least two inch heels that reminded him of what hookers wore. He was a demean today. He was glad none of his friends could see him dressed like this, how disappointed they would be in him. He was also glad his brother wasn't here being forced to perform and have sex for the enjoyment of others, it would break his spirit.

"Hey, you need to be backstage in five!" Im Yong Su shouted, a Korean who worked as a stage manager for Ivan. He was annoying in Lovino's opinion and loved to grab people's chest and then claim then like he was a fucken conquistador.

"Yeah, yeah," Sadiq growled, he and Herakles had been in the middle of a heated argument about something before the Korean intrupted something. Lovino watched as the Asian left the two went back to their arugement.

"You're a dick!" Herakles said,

"And you're a lazy Bastard." Sadiq shot back,

"What are you going to do about it?" Herakles challenged, the tone of the argument had taken on an underlying tone now and Sadiq had a look in his eyes that scared Lovino slightly and certainly made Herakles back up straight into a wall. Sadiq placed hands on either side of the Greek's head so that he couldn't escape before placing his lips on the Greeks.

"Finally." He heard Arthur mutter from where he stood beside him and Lovino realized that he was not the only one in the room watching the two. Kiku had even pulled out a notebook and was sketching the two. Lovino shook his head, where had Kiku pulled that out from? Lovino looked over at Arthur again who was watching the two make out and a little bit of envy was mixed in with the green in his eyes. Arthur Kirkland was jealous of Sadiq and Herakles, why? Because they were in love, passionate love and Lovino doubted that Arthur had ever been in love before. The poor bastard, love was a wonderful thing to feel even if Lovino would never admit it out loud, thinking about now there were a lot of things Lovino would never admit out loud.

"Hey, I hear Im Yong Su coming." Monique hissed and Sadiq and Herakles broke apart looking a bit embarrassed that their friends had watched them making out. Kiku hid his sketch pad from where ever he had hidden it before.

"I wonder what it feels like." Arthur muttered as Lovino stood back stage with him waiting for the show to start.

"What, what feels like?" Lovino asked,

"Love." Arthur said regretfully and Lovino felt bad for him, to never have experienced love before was saddening even to someone who usually tried to be emotionally detached.

"Love is a thing that can never be described perfectly." Lovino replied, "For every person its different. For me its warm and comforting, knowing that someone will be with you always, never having to hide who I really am, green eyes and tomatoes." Suddenly Lovino didn't see the dark side of the curtains, but the grassy park where Antonio asked him and proposed to him. His brown locks the color of milk chocolate, tanned brown skin like sand on a beach, and green eyes the color of peridots and sparkle rivaled any diamond.

"What's his name?"

"Huh?" Lovino asked coming out of his fantasy world with Antonio.

"I've seen the ring you wear around your neck. I know there is someone out there who will stop at nothing to find you." Arthur said, there was anger to the tone of his voice and jealousy.

"His name is Antonio, Antonio Ferdinand Carriedo. He's from Spain, but he grew up next door to me for as long as I can remember. We were high school sweet hearts you could say, though we had to keep our love a secret as cliché as that sounds, my father's a homophobe. But I broke off our engagement a month ago to protect him from the bastard." Lovino said and Arthur only nodded.

"Hey Vargas, you're up." Im Yong Su said, Lovino sighed and straightened out his costume before going out on stage.

There was a bar and a pole on stage. After one of Lovino's first performances he accidently let it slip that he had done gymnastics when he was younger. Why? Because Feli wanted to do gymnastics but hadn't wanted to do it alone so Lovino had swallowed his pride and taken the sport with his younger brother. Now he was finally putting what he'd learned and been halfway decent at to good use, well if you could call creating sexual fantasies to high paying patrons a good use. An electronic beat was played as Lovino walked onto stage.

_Do you know who I am?  
>Good neither do I<br>Got nothing to say (Got nothing to say)  
>But if you pay me I can play the fool.<em>

Lovino raised himself up on to the pole, crossing his legs around it as sexily as possible, just as Yao, a former dancer and prostitute here at the Russian Sunflower had instructed him to do in their many dance classes that had taken up Lovino's spare time. He moved himself up the pole, teasing the audience with as much skin as possible.

_Go on, believe if it turn you on,  
>Take what you need till your body's numb<br>Prostitution is revolution,  
>You can hate me,<br>After you pay me  
>My submission is your addiction.<br>So just get out while you can._

Lovino twisted himself up on the pole like a cat till he turned himself upside down, making sure all the skin on his legs was revealing as well as his whole chest, before flipping himself forward and landing on the bar on both legs like a cat. The crowd went wild with enthusiasm. He took a bow on the balance beam and blew a kiss out to the audience before jumping off and behind stage again.

Lovino's eyes scanned the crowd and locked with two angry cerulean ones that were embedded into the familiar face of an angry French man that Lovino was very familiar with Francis Bonnefoy. What the fuck was he doing here at such a high class brothel? And beside him was, oh God, Antonio.

"Please kill me." Lovino begged Arthur as he got offstage, passing Kiku as the Japanese man went on stage.

"Why?" Arthur asked confused,

"Antonio is in the crowd, I'm pretty sure he recognized me. I know Francis did, he looked livid." Lovino said, hiding his face in his hands.

"Look I'm sure it was people who just happened to look like Francis and Antonio." Arthur said trying to calm him down.

"No, I would know those two anywhere, plus Gilbert is pretty hard to miss being an albino and everything."

"Arthur, Lovino," Toris said running up to the duo, he was showing the most emotion now then Lovino had ever seen from the light haired brunette. "Felix is in the audience." Arthur smiled and shook his head.

"Somebody is going to a nice night tonight." Arthur said, Toris frowned as he looked back and forth between his two friends.

"What's wrong?" But before the Britt or Italian could answer, Im Yong Su was calling Toris up to perform. Both watched him walk away with a little spring in his step. But before they could resume their previous conversation Monique walked up.

"So five bucks says Sadiq and Herakles ditch their partners tonight and end up in each other's arms." She said quietly watching Im Yong Su from the corner of her eyes. Arthur snorted and Lovino shook his head, Monique reminded him of Elizaveth, a yaoi crazy friend of Antonio's who was going to college in Ottawa with her boyfriend Rodriech who had lived across the street from him and Antonio.

"Sounds plausible." Arthur said, trying to give the French girl the cold shoulder so that she would go away, she wouldn't have it though.

"So, did I hear correctly when I heard that Antonio was in the audience tonight?" she asked leaning in as she spoke to make certain no one else could hear her. Lovino groaned and pulled away, Monique had heard them talking and now the whole dressing room would know before they woke up tomorrow morning.

"Shhh!" Arthur hissed, "If we wanted everyone to know we would have not been talking in a whisper."

"So don't tell anybody or else." Lovino warned,

"Or what?" Monique asked hand on her hip, she looked at the Italian with a prove it look.

"Your brother is out in the audience tonight."

"Frannie?" Lovino nodded,

"We can make sure he knows where you are. He can come and get you. You're underage, you shouldn't be here anyway." Lovino watched as tears fell from Monique's eyes at the idea of leaving the Russian Sunflower.

"You, you have no idea how much this means to me."

"Oi, Arthur, you're up!" Im Yong Su shouted, Arthur nodded and sighed before walking on stage like the others before him.

"Well, I'm going to go change." Lovino said as if no new revelations had passed through the group that night and it was just another night, only if it was just another night Lovino probably wouldn't be changing.

"Into what?" Monique asked with a giggle,

"None of your business" And Lovino stalked off.

* * *

><p>"You look like a tomato." Arthur said to Lovino as they walked together to their mutual rooms together. Soon, Lovino would be facing the music to his disappearance and Lovino wasn't quite sure whether or not he should lie to Antonio about being kidnapped.<p>

"Shut up, bastard." Lovino responded huffing, he was embarrassed enough that he had decided to dress in this when he went to face Antonio he didn't need the Pirate Bastard to tell him that. They reached their rooms. "Good luck."

"Pssh, I've been having sex with people before you even started to have wet dreams. Please your friend ought to be a piece of cake." Arthur said opening the door and waltzing, Lovino sighed putting his hand on the doorknob to the room Antonio was in. Could he face him, after tearing his heart apart in a way that would be hard to put back together. He pulled out the chain with the ring on it and held it in one hand and opened the door with the other.

**Author's Note (The part of the story where the author comes out and writes a silly note): Haha, now whose ready to kill me? I know I would want to kill me if I was left with such a cliff hanger, but you know I have to keep you guys coming back somehow. Haha I know this is late, sorry, expect the next chapter to be late too.**


	6. You Could be Happy

**Chapter Six: You Could be Happy**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or Snow Patrol**

Antonio was laying on the futon when Lovino entered the room. He didn't look up then, nor did he look up when Lovino shut the door or crossed the bedroom to sit beside him. "Your father was stalking Francis and me." He said finally, still looking at the ceiling and not the Italian beside him who had a look of guilt and regret on his face as he sat on the far end of the bed. "Did you know?"

"Yes." Lovino whispered, "He blackmailed me with it." He watched Antonio's frown deepen and the hurt grow in his eyes. "Antonio, I didn't wa-" But Antonio suddenly sat up, anger on his face as he pushed Lovino on the bed so that he now laid back on it.

"No, you listen. I love you Lovino Romano Vargas, I love you with all my heart, and I can take almost anything from you. But tonight, watching you show off your body for the world to see, that was too much, Lovino. If this is what you want to do with your life then count me out of it." Antonio got up off of Lovino and headed for the door.

"Antonio, wait." Lovino begged his hands desperately clasped around the ring, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. "Don't go." And Antonio stopped in the middle of the room facing the door. "I can explain." He wiped his nose trying to stop the snot from falling out of it, making a snorting sound so that no more would fall. "Yes, Octavius blackmailed me, he black mailed me into breaking up with you and it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life. The look on your face was heart shattering, but the Bastard threatened to hurt you and Francis both. I didn't feel I had any other options.

"But coming here, coming to the Russian Sunflower, was against my will. I was kidnapped Tonio, my father sold me into prostitution. My own father. I have no idea what city I'm in, I have had no contact with the outside world. But I never stopped loving you, Antonio. And you can walk out that door and leave me here and I wouldn't blame you one bit. I am a dirty whore now." And he couldn't stop the tears from falling now or the snot from dripping down his nose.

"Do you remember after your mom died who it was that you came to for comfort?" Antonio asked quietly, not turning around to face the crying boy but also not leaving him either.

"You." Lovino said hoarsely,

"I'm not going to leave you now." Antonio promised turning around and walking back to the bed, wrapping his arms around the Italian. His breath hitched as his fingers hit the silver chain Lovino always wore around his neck, he traced it down his neckline till his fingers touched the ring. "You kept it."

"Of course, bastard, I still love you." Lovino said chuckling quietly and stared into Antonio's beautiful green eyes that he never wanted to look out of. And they seemed to melt as Lovino said the four words he had been waiting to hear all night.

"Well, you know I paid a lot of money to get in here tonight, are you going to make it worth it?" Antonio said with a laugh, "You really look like a tomato today." He leaned over so that his face was right beside Lovnio ear. "_Mi Tomate_." The hot breath sent shivers down Lovino's spine; Antonio smirked before giving the ear a slight nip. His mouth trailed kisses down Lovino's face till he reached his lips. "I love you, Lovino." He whispered and then their lips met for the first time in almost two and a half months. It was heaven for Lovino, Antonio truly cared for him unlike the previous bed partners he'd had.

Antonio's hands pushed down Lovino's sleeves while their lips were intertwined in their kiss. The dress was only being held in place by the zipper in the back. Something that was quickly not an obstacle any longer.

Lovino's hands were busy too; he pushed off the black suit jacket that many men wore to the establishment. Leaving Antonio in a white buttoned up shirt and red tie. "Somebody's excited," Antonio murmured against Lovino's lips as they stood up and let the dress fall to Lovino's ankles. Antonio stroked the tent that had formed in the shorts that Lovino was wearing underneath the Lolita dress.

"And you're not?" Lovino asked as he was pressed back onto the bed. Antonio chuckled as his lips found their way to Lovino's favorite spot on his neck. "Nngh!" he moaned. It looked like Toris wouldn't be the only one having a good night tonight.

Quickly Antonio pulled down the shorts and began to pump Lovino's cock while the Italian moaned underneath him at his touch. "Fuck, Tonio, keep doing that." Lovino shouted not really caring that Arthur and Francis were next door and might be able to hear them. They were used to it. His hands roamed Antonio's body, removing the tie, unbuttoning Antonio's shirt and removing the Spaniard's pants.

"Okay," Antonio said raggedly, his tongue making circles around Lovino's now perked up nipples. Lovino emitted even more moans.

"I want you, Antonio." Lovino said in between pants, the pleasure the Spaniard was giving him was better than anyone he'd ever been with before at the Sunflower. But that was to be expected right? When you had sex with someone you love as oppose to someone you've never met before it was going to be better.

"Want me to do what?" Antonio asked with a devilish look in his eyes. "Do you want me to do this?" He ran his tongue down Lovino's chest and stomach before licking down one side of his shaft and up the other.

"Oh fuck yes." Lovino moaned loudly and Antonio licked him again happily listening to the wanton noises that came from his lover.

"So what is it that you want, Lovino?" Antonio asked cheerfully into Lovino's ear, that bastard was of a kind, Lovino grumbled to himself. Then Lovino felt Antonio's body shift and he took all of Lovino into his mouth.

"I want your fat cock shoved into my ass and you fuck me." Lovino said before letting out another moan.

"Prepared or not prepared?"

"Just fuck me bastard!" Lovino demanded, and Antonio chuckled taking his face away from Lovino's midsection and lifted the Italian's legs so that he had access to the puckered hole. With a single thrust Antonio fully sheathed himself into Lovino and they both moaned at the pleasure they felt.

"I love you, Lovi." Antonio said as Lovino's nails cut into the skin on his back from the intense pleasure they were both feeling from going so long without one another.

"Nnng!" was Lovino's response, "Toni, I'm about to-" he practically screamed as he released the white sticky substance all over his and Antonio's chest.

"Me too." Antonio said, holding Lovino closer to him as he came inside Lovino. He continued to hold Lovino in his arms for a few minutes trying to get over his euphoria from the sex they just had.

"I'm going to get you out of here." Antonio promised as the two cuddled, he ran his tan hand through Lovino's dark brown hair. "I promise you." Lovino nodded, and pressed himself even more into Antonio's chest.

"Felix has been trying to get Toris out of her for four years." Lovino murmured, "But Ivan keeps us under tight surveillance."

"Ivan?" Antonio asked, he propped himself up onto his elbow and rested his head in his hand while he continued to play with Lovino's hair. "Who's he?"

"The owner of the club. I haven't met the bastard yet, but everyone says he's a monster of a man." Antonio raised an eyebrow at Lovino's words. "They're terrified of him."

"Tell me about some of the others in the club." Lovino shrugged and then his eyes widened,

"Monique! Francis' younger sister, she's here at the Russian Sunflower." Antonio's eyes widened too, a mixture of horror and disgust in his eyes.

"As a-a pros-rostiute?" Antonio barely managed out, Lovino nodded closing his eyes.

"She was in the school girl outfit today."

"Oh my god, Lovino, is she okay?" Lovino nodded,

"We all make it through some way or another. She's a strong girl. I think she's the youngest here."

"We have to tell Francis, you know he'll fight tooth and nail for her safety." Antonio said Lovino nodded. "What about the others? Tell me about them." Lovino was pretty sure the only reason Antonio was asking him about the others was because he just wanted to hear him talk, Antonio had told him plenty of times that he loved to just listen to Lovino talk after sex. It soothed him somehow. Lovino didn't really get it but he gave into Antonio tonight, how could he not?

"Well Toris, he's a nervous fellow, reminds me a lot of Matthew only not so invisible. I get the feeling he'd be Ivan's favorite if Arthur wasn't here. Poor guy, he's been here the longest I believe, well Arthur may have been here slightly longer but they've both been here for a while. He had to pay of some sort of debt to Ivan and even though he paid it, Ivan won't let him go." Antonio nodded so Lovino carried on. "There's Herakles and Sadiq, they're in love with each other and they fight like cats and dogs. Herakles dressed like a cat and Sadiq wears the white mask. Only he wears the damn thing all the time, its creepy I tell you." Antonio chuckled. "Kiku is probably the sanest here; he's very quiet and draws a lot. But they're all yaoi stuff, you know what Elizaveth likes." Antonio snorted as they both thought about the Hungarian brunette who had gone to school with them and had often tried to take video of them kissing. "And then there's Arthur, he's British and that's about all I know of his past. He dresses like the pirate."

"The one Francis is with at the moment?"

"Yeah, he can be a real jerk, but I think his heart is in the right place."

"Reminds me of somebody I know." Lovino scowled at his lover.

"I hate you."

"I love you too, Lovi." Antonio said with a smile.

"How did you find me?" Lovino asked tracing a pattern of some kind onto Antonio's chest with his fingernail.

"Felix." Lovino looked at him surprised,

"Felix? How'd you meet him?"

"He's friends with Elizaveth, apparently he mentioned that Toris worked as a prostitute here. She asked him to ask Toris if there were any knew people that were Italians. And he knew exactly who she was asking about." Antonio said with a shrug, "And that's how Francis, Gilbert and I ended up here with Felix."

"Gilbert's not sleeping with anybody is he?" Lovino asked thinking about Matthew back home, he would castrate the albino himself he cheated on the Canadian boy.

"Nah, he went back to his apartment." Antonio said with a shrug.

"Gilbert lives in this city now?"

"Yeah, we all do, we didn't think it was safe to live back home. Montreal seemed safer."

"So that's where I am." Lovino mumbled to himself. Antonio nodded and detangled himself from Lovino. "Where are you going?" Lovino asked horrified as Antonio stood up.

"I can't stay here all night, besides Francis is my ride home and I highly doubt Arthur will impress him enough to make him want to stay too much longer." Lovino snorted, "I'll send word through Toris of how to get you out of here. Okay?" Lovino nodded and stood up himself. They both cleaned up and got dressed quietly.

"I love you." Antonio said as they headed for the door and before Lovino had a chance to respond he was in Antonio's strong arms kissing the tanned man and gazing into those green eyes he loved so much.

"I love you too, bastard." Antonio chuckled and they walked out of the dark room together.

Antonio knocked on the door beside theirs, frowing at the silence that was coming from the room. Lovino knew from experience that Francis wasn't quiet when he was having sex. "Francis, you in there?"

"Git!" shouted Arthur from inside,

"Huh?" Antonio said confused, Lovino just rolled his eyes.

"Arthur, I'm coming in?" Lovino said opening up the door to find both occupants fully dressed, it was obvious from the state of the room they had, had sex, wild crazy sex from the look of the semen that was on the wall. But now it seemed they were in the middle of an intense argument.

"Wow," Antonio whispered from behind Lovino, "Someone had an interesting night."

"You are a real piece of work you know that, Frog!" Arthur shouted at the angry Frenchman,

"Aw, but _mon cher_, you know that I was the best lay you've ever had." Francis said with a chuckle, Lovino decided then and there he didn't want to know what the argument was about.

"Hey you two," Lovino said, both blonds turned to look at the brunettes. "Antonio says you two have to go." Antonio nodded behind Lovino.

"Thank heavens; if the Frog stayed here any longer I would have cut off his precious balls." Arthur growled, "Bloody wanker." Lovino let out a snigger watching the two blond react to one another.

"Bye, _cher_," Francis said blowing a kiss at Arthur.

"I love you." Antonio whispered into Lovino's ear, "_Mi tomate_." Then the older two were gone and Lovino was left behind unable to follow them home.

_You could be happy  
>And I won't know<br>But you weren't happy  
>The day I watched you go.<br>And all the things I wish  
>I had not said<br>Played in loops  
>Till its madness in my head<em>

**Author's Note (The part of the story where the author comes out and writes a silly note): Okay so I lied, it wasn't going to be a while after all, haha. Jeesh and I had one review threaten to go Belarus on me (shutters). Nah. Speaking of reviewers I really want to thank you for all the reviews I've gotten so far. They've all been really inspiring. So danke, danke, danke. (That's thank you in German for those who don't know).**

**Oh Yeah, for those of you who actually read author's note I want to know which you would rather see first, because I assure you I will write both. A prequel to the Russian Sunflower about Lovino and Antonio's relationship beginning in high school or a sequel which will focus on two other characters I won't say who but by the end of the story you may figure it out.**_  
><em>


	7. Airplanes

Airplanes

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or the song Airplanes**.

Rage, fury, anger, were all the emotions that Francis felt as he slammed the door to his room knocking down a couple of pictures that had hung on the wall near the door. It wasn't Antonio's fault, he was just the bearer of bad news, so then why did Francis really want to beat his face in? Well actually beating just about anyone's face in would be really good. It was a good thing they lived far away from his and Lovino's fathers cause he might not be able to stop himself from looking for them if they did. He wanted to beat the bastards faces in that took his sister's innocent and practically raped her. She was still under eighteen if he could find them he would put them in jail for statutory rape. He would make sure that no one could touch his _petite souer _ever again.

But seeing as there was no one in his bedroom to smash in faces with Francis resorted to using the mirror in the bathroom that was connected to his bedroom, he had the master bedroom in the apartment, Antonio had drawn the short straw and to have the normal bedroom. Smash. The glass of the mirror cracked and pieces broke off and embedded themselves into his fist which had smashed a huge hole into said mirror. Smash. Another crack in the mirror diagonal from the one he had already made, more glass embedded in his skin. He could hear Antonio outside of the room asking if everything was alright. How could everything be alright? His sister was a prostitute and it was all his fault, if he had only walked her home that day like he always had done instead of staying after school and helping Gilbert and Antonio on a prank that had required time after school to get it right. If only, if only, he had played the _what if_ over in his mind again and again many times. It would change nothing now; all that mattered was letting her know that it would soon be all right. That he would always be there for her and that no one would ever hurt her again.

"Francis," Antonio said coming into the bathroom and kneeling beside the Frenchman, "Francis, do you always need to be so overdramatic, sending shards of a mirror into your palm is not going to change the past." The normally cheerful Spaniard was no longer smiling as he inspected Francis' left hand. "Come on; let's run this under some water to wash the blood away before pulling out the shards. Jeesh can't you think about how hard this is going to be explaining to everybody?" The three of them, Antonio, Gilbert and Francis had agreed to keep Lovino's location a secret so that the others wouldn't freak out so much until after Lovino was back and safe among friends again.

"I want to kill every man that has ever touched my sister." Francis said quietly,

"I understand _mi amigo_; I feel the same way about the men who have touched my Lovino. But breaking mirrors won't help you with that, in fact that'll give you seven years of bad luck." The smile returned to Antonio's face as he turned the tap on the sink that would allow cold water to flow from the faucet. Francis let out a half chuckle and allowed Antonio to play nurse on him. He had been a bit overdramatic breaking the mirror, but then theatre hadn't been his greatest passion for nothing.

"Sorry," Francis muttered as he sat on the toilet, Antonio sat on the edge of the tub and was quietly and efficiently pulling out the shards of the broken mirror.

"You're paying for that you know." Antonio said,

"Fine," Francis agreed, "I broke it, I'll pay for it."

"Good, you're lucky that I hadn't left or this could be seriously infected." Francis raised an eyebrow, why would Antonio be leaving anytime soon? He hadn't said anything about having to go anywhere today. "Alfred called, Matthew and Gilbert are fighting again and it's turned really dangerous I guess. You know how they can get when they fight. I was about to head out to the apartment when I heard the mirror break."

"Oh," was all Francis could say and wondered to himself what his cousin and his best friend were fighting about now. Gilbert was always doing something to annoy Matthew, and though the blond had a lot of patience with the obnoxious Prussian, there was only so much patience someone could have with another.

"Yeah, so let's get you patched up and then head over to Matthew's." Antonio said walking over to the drawers to pull out the gazes and the medical tape. It had been a while since they'd had to use that sort of stuff. Antonio had stabbed himself with scissors last time.

"Are you sure that's a fight we want to break up?"

"Alfred sounded desperate." Francis raised an eyebrow; the American born usually could break up his brother's fights with one of his hero smiles and a few words. If he was sounding desperate that meant Matthew wasn't listening to him or anybody for that matter and this could be a dangerous battle field they were walking into. But Antonio must already know that.

"What did Gilbert do now?" Francis grumbled looking down at his newly bandaged hand.

"Dunno. Are you going to want some Motrin?" Antonio asked rummaging through the medicine cabinet for the medication he had just mentioned.

"No, I think I'll be okay." Francis said standing up off the toilet and put his hand on Antonio's shoulder. "Let's go rescue Gilbert, I don't want Matthew charged with murder." Antonio chuckled and nodded and the two vacated the bathroom.

Matthew and Alfred's apartment was only a few blocks from Francis and Antonio's. Gilbert didn't technically live with the brothers, but he often spent the night to give as he put it Feliciano and Ludwig privacy. Francis shook his head as he stepped out of the elevator on the third floor of the apartment building, he could hear the yelling already, Matthew had a pair of lungs on him.

"Oh Francis, Antonio, thank goodness you're here." Matthew and Alfred's neighbor, Mrs. Delour, said. "I don't know what Gilbert did, but Matthew is greatly upset with him." The elderly lady looked frazzled. "I don't know what to do. Should I call the police?"

"No," Antonio said with one of his dazzling smiles that he used to charm all manner of people, "Frannie and I will take care of it. I'm sure Gilbie just pushed one to many of Matthew's buttons." Francis rolled his eyes as Antonio sweet talked the elderly woman.

"Oh, okay, well then I'll just go out and come back later when the fighting has stopped." Mrs. Delour said and walked down the hall with her very ugly green hand bag that reminded Francis of lizard's skin.

"Get out, get out!" Matthew was shouting when Francis and Antonio opened the door to the apartment. The blond, normally quiet, Canadian stood with his hockey stick in hand; trembling with rage in the middle of a living room that looked like it was a warzone. And in a way it had been. Terracotta pieces of a broken lamp were scattered around the living room, all the cushion of the couch had been torn out, a painting hung sideways on its hinges. Glass from a broken glass was also scattered around the room. Gilbert stood behind the kitchen counter which was seeable from the doorway because the wall had been cut out from it. "I won't have a adulterous bastard staying in my house!"

"Adulterous!" Gilbert shouted in rage picking up the remote to throw at the Canadian, who in turn changed the hockey stick's position as if he was going to deflect it like he would a hockey puck. Alfred was nowhere in sight. "Adulterous! We're not eve married! You're just jealous of the awesome me!"

"Get out, now." Matthew's voice had suddenly taken on a tone Francis had only ever heard once. A bully had cornered Lovino after school one time and taunted the Italian about being gay. Unfortunately for said bully, Matthew and Francis had come upon them as the Canadian was coming home from hockey practice, Francis had been his ride. Francis had never felt sorry for anyone in his life more than the terrified boy after Matthew was through with him.

"Make me," Gilbert said with the cocky smile that would make anybody get riled up and smack it off of him, including at the moment an already riled up Matthew.

"Enough," Francis shouted making his and Antonio's presence noted. "Both of you." Matthew turned and glared at his cousin.

"What are you two doing here?" He demanded,

"Making sure you don't end up in jail for murdering him." Antonio said,

"Hey!" Gilbert protested, but one look from his two best friends silenced anything he was about to protest.

"Look, Matthew, we swear Gilbert didn't sleep with anyone last night." Francis said, "He went home. He was faithful."

"So you admit you went to a strip club." Matthew accused,

"It wasn't the most pleasurable experience." Gilbert muttered.

"You went to a strip club last night and you expect me to believe you didn't enjoy it!" Matthew yelled, his grip tightening on the hockey stick in his hands making the albino he was already threatening tremble slightly.

"Well technically it's not a strip club. The Russian Sunflower is considered a-" the look on Matthew's faced silenced the talkative Spaniard, "Lovino didn't strip until we got to the back room."

"I don't care that wherever you went- hold on did you just say Lovino?" Matthew said, Antonio nodded eyeing the hockey stick still in the Canadian's hands. That was a dangerous weapon in the silent blonde's hands. It was something he had seen the boy use plenty of times on the ice and even on some kids that had dared to make fun of Gilbert for looking different. "You found him?" Antonio nodded again.

"He's at the Russian Sunflower; we're working on a way for him to escape." Antonio said,

"Matthew, he's not the only one there either." Francis said quietly, the Canadian's purple eyes softened as he saw the distress in his cousin's eyes. "Monique is there as well."

"What? But Monique, she's, she's dead. She's been dead for- for five years." Matthew said quietly the hockey stick dropping from his hands as Francis shook his head.

"You know they never were able to confirm it." Francis whispered,

"But the funeral and your mother. Francis, does Monique know?"

"I- I don't know," Francis felt his legs tremble has he remembered the night after the funeral for the little girl who would never be encased in her casket. His mother had taken a gun from the gun safe the night after the funeral and spattered her brains all over the wall in his parents' bedroom, a room he'd never been able to go into again.

He didn't stay too long afterwards at the apartment, he went for a drive around Montreal wasting gas and money just trying to clear his head. It had taken him years to stop blaming himself for what had happened to Monique, years. It was Jeanne his high school sweet heart who had finally convinced him that he wasn't the one to blame for her disappearance or his family issues afterwards. She'd been the one to make him whole again, at least until her death.

It wasn't until later that Francis even realized that he had driven back to the Russian Sunflower. He had to face her, his past, his guilt. What would he do if she hated him? He couldn't blame her, he'd hate himself if he was in her position. What if she wanted nothing to do with him? Was she still the same little girl he remembered? No, he told himself almost as the thought entered him, no there was no way she'd still be the same little girl who loved to read and dream about far off places, she would be different.

Francis was by no means poor, or even really middle class, his parents had been very well off before everything went to hell and Francis had inherited his mother's life insurance once he turned eighteen, plus his grandparents back in France were quite well off and often sent him money, they were also the ones paying for college. So entering the high end brothel was no hard sweat for him. Neither would be the fee for getting a night with Monique, he was sure that he could out bid any man for his sister, and he would.

Back and forth he paced along the back wall of the room near the bed that wouldn't be in use that night. It was a bare white room that reminded Francis of a mental ward only without the observation windows, not that Francis had ever been in a mental ward, he had only seen them on tv. Soon she would enter and he would have to face the music of what happened five year prior.

The door handle turned and Francis froze like a child who had been caught with his hands in the cookie jar. The door opened and a beautiful blond girl with dully sparkling blue eyes, dressed in a Catholic school girl outfit, her hair done in braids to only extenuate the fact that she was a minor and supposedly forbidden. There was no doubt in Francis' mind anymore that his little sister was alive as she stood in front of him, apparently oblivious as to who he was. Had he really changed that much? He had grown stubble on his chin, it made him look manlier, and grown out his blond hair, but if you had blond hair like his wouldn't you want everyone to notice it too?

She shut the door behind her and then turned to look at Francis and raised an eyebrow, probably at his very dumfounded look on his face. "Well, shall we get to it tonight or not?" she asked, very much comfortable in the situation, something that didn't make Francis any less guilty.

"_Non_, I do not wish to have sex with _ma petite souer_." He said barely auditable, her blue eyes widened and filled with tears and she ran over to him crying his name as she did so.

"Francis, Francis," she said over and over again into his chest. "You've come, you've come for me." Francis smiled and wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek on the top of her head, glad she was back in his arms where he could hopefully protect her from the dangers of life again.

"Monique, I- I" he said pulling away from her, "There is no excuse for what I did, I left you to fend for yourself so that I could plan some meaningless prank with Gilbert and Antonio, I- I'm such a horrible person." Monique frowned as he spoke and shook her head when he was finished.

"Its not your fault, Francis. I could have called Mom to pick me up or walked home with some friends. But I didn't because I wanted to prove that I wasn't a little girl anymore. Besides if you had been with me Mom and Dad would have lost another child. They were after both of us." Monique said, there was a fire in her eyes that had been absent before, a fire that told Francis that Monique hadn't lost herself in all the tragedy she had faced.

"Both of us?" Francis said weakly, reaching for the wall behind him to grasp for support. He had come so close to being in the same position as Monique, as Lovino. If he had been taken that day five years ago he'd never have met Jeanne or helped Antonio and Lovino get together or even Matthew and Gilbert. He had helped orchestrate all of his friend's relationships.

"Yeah, Toris admitted to overhearing it a few years ago. In ways I'm grateful that Gilbert and Antonio held you back because now you don't have to live with the fact that you're a slut." Francis let out a hollow bark as she spoke. He was a slut, even more then she was, at least she didn't sleep around by choice. Francis couldn't count how many men and women he had slept with since Jeanne died, sometimes he slept with more than one.

"Monique, I swear you won't spend another year here. By the time of your eighteenth birthday you'll never see this place again, I swear this to you." Francis said his flair for the dramatic bursting out again.

"You've changed so much, Frannie. You've got the eyes of an old man now." Monique whispered her palm brushing his cheek.

"I've experienced the loss of three people that I dearly loved. I am a broken man, Monique. I fear at times that I will never be put back together again." He smiled to himself as he uttered his last sentence.

There was a knock at the door that made the siblings jump. "Monique, I heard voices is everything okay?" asked the familiar voice of Arthur Kirkland. Monique hurried over to the door to inform the Britt that everything was okay when he spotted Francis.

"You," The Britt pointed at Francis, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him. "Frog, what the hell are you doing with Monique. I knew you were a sick man, but this is just twisted. I never suspected you were a pervert." Francis let out a sardonic laugh that confused the other two occupants in the room.

"Arthur," Monique said quietly, "Francis is my brother. He wasn't doing anything to me; we were talking because we haven't seen each other in five years." Arthur frowned and then turned back to the still laughing Frenchman.

"I'll never understand the French." He said shaking his head, "They're so melodramatic."

"Francis, what's wrong?" Monique said with a desperate sigh.

"I am sick and twisted, while my sister sleeps with people because she is forced too, I sleep around like a whore by choice. I vowed to kill anyone who has ever touched you, but I have to wonder if anyone has made that vow with someone that I've slept with. And God, do I want a cigarette right now." Francis said, Monique and Arthur looked down at the ground suddenly uncomfortable.

"Smoking's not allowed here." Arthur said and Francis shrugged.

"Francis, is something wrong?" Monique asked, Francis slid down the wall till he sat on the floor before answering. He hid his face from the other's eyes, but his voice cracked as he spoke.

"You were supposed to hate me, supposed to tell me that I was some God awful person for not walking you home that day. That it was all my fault that Dad became a drunk and Mom killed herself, that it was my fault you were forced to sleep with a total stranger because he couldn't find a real person to warm his bed at night so he resorted to child prostitution instead. But you didn't, you did exactly what she said you would do, you weren't angry with me and you accepted me without even knowing who I was anymore. You even told me you were glad I wasn't with you because then I would be in the same position you are in. I rather I be in it, Monique then you. For the past five years I believed my baby sister was dead and that it was all my fault."

"It'll be okay Frannie, you promised to get me out. I know you'll get me out, Frannie, cause you never break your word." Monique said bending down next to him and giving him a hug.

_Can we pretend that airplanes,  
>In the night sky<br>Are like shooting stars?  
>I could really use a wish right now,<br>Wish right now,  
>Wish right now.<em>

_Can we pretend that airplanes,  
>In the night sky,<br>Are like shooting stars?  
>I could really use a wish right now,<br>Wish right now,  
>Wish right now.<em>

**Author's Note (The part of the story where the Author comes out and write a silly note): So I'm back after a very long hiatus and for those of you who read my author's note you'll know that I had medical issues that popped up only days after my last posting, literally. Then during that whole debacle marching band started and that as some may know can take up your life as you know it till it ends. So I'm just saying that if it takes another seven weeks to publish my next chapter, that is why. Anyway so yeah decided to focus on Francis this time because I adore Francis. I think he's very funny and tries to express himself only he does in all the wrong ways and he's so melodramatic, I thought that him being a theatre major just fit him. And I love FrUk and so I'm working on back story that will become more elaborated later on in Russian Sunflower and in the prequel I'm working on. But I'll keep taking in requests for either prequel or a sequel. Oh yeah, this is my longest chapter I have written for this story. It just got way out of hand. That's part of the reason it took so long to write. **


	8. Judas

**Judas**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or the song Judas.**

**A.N. I want to thank you for sticking with me despite my two and a half month absent. **

Matthew Williams frowned as he cleaned up the living room so that it no longer looked like the warzone it was an hour earlier when he and Gilbert were still fighting. Why hadn't they told him they were looking for Lovino? He and Lovino had been best friends since fifth grade; didn't he deserve to know where he was? Who were Gilbert, Antonio, and Francis to keep Lovino's location a secret?

"Hey Mattie, do you- do you think Monique and Francis are okay?" asked Alfred, he had come out of his bedroom after the members of the Bad Touch Trio left to help Matthew clean the living room. He had obviously overheard Matthew and Gilbert's fight, but through tidbits like this Alfred had also revealed that he had overheard Antonio and Francis talking as well. Matthew supposed that he knew the two were coming, how else would they have known that he and Gilbert were having such a big blow out?

"I don't know." Matthew said quietly, he was a quiet enough boy already and when he talked softer than normal people had an even harder time hearing, all except Alfred and Gilbert and most of the time Francis. He was still in shock that his cousin was still alive after thinking she was dead for so long and after all the pain he had watched his aunt and uncle go through after losing her. It seemed almost cruel that Monique was still alive. Not that he wanted her dead or anything and he was glad that Francis still had family left, no one really considered Francis's father alive still as he wasted his days on alcohol and ways to rid himself of the memories of the past. "I don't know anymore."

"Makes me wonder about Arthur." Alfred said with a shrug. He threw a plastic soda bottle into the trash can that was five feet away and gave out a little cheer.

"Arthur?" Matthew asked looking up from picking up the terra cotta pieces of the broken blue lamp that Matthew had used as a projectile against Gilbert and crashed against the wall. He didn't mind the fact that it was broken; it was an ugly lamp that he and Alfred had bought at a bargain store because they needed lamps for the apartment.

"My cousin, my mother's sister's son. He disappeared as well a little before Monique. We figured he'd probably run away. My aunt, she's a prostitute. At least that what Dad said." Alfred said slightly uncomfortable talking about his real mother's side of the family. As far as he or anyone else was concerned Alice Williams was his mother and not the random women who had abandoned him and his father soon after he was born.

"Oh," the step-brothers fell silent for a few minutes while they worked on cleaning up the living room. It would take them a while before it was back to being in the condition it was before the fight.

"You two really know how to have a fight. I would hate to have the two of you facing someone together. You could do some real damage." Matthew snorted, normally he was a pacifist only fighting when necessary and today he thought it had been necessary to make his point across to Gilbert that he would not tolerate cheating on him just because his two best friends were single and wanted to go to strip clubs.

"He knows how to press my buttons."

"Apparently the bad ones." Matthew rolled his eyes before standing up to run into the kitchen to grab some cleaner to clean the walls with, when the doorbell rang. Matthew sighed; he was exhausted after his fight with Gilbert and was in no mood to entertain any guests especially with the way the living room looked.

"Hello?" he asked opening the door to find his albino lover standing there with a bouquet of white daises in his hands. White daisies were Matthew's favorite flowers and Gilbert's symbol of apology as they both knew that the egoistical man had issues with the words 'I'm sorry' "Gilbert."

"_Es tut mir leid_." Gilbert said, and Matthew looked at him in total shock, he had apologized even if it was in Gilbert's grandfather's native tongue. German was the langue the couple spoke if they didn't want anyone to know what they were saying. Matthew had been the only one to take German at school; he didn't feel the need to take French like Francis and Antonio or Spanish like Alfred so he had taken German. "I saw these and thought of you." Gilbert handed Matthew the flowers. "I know it's cheesy, but I love you Matthew Williams, and I want you to know that I would never cheat on you. I think- I think you may be the best thing that has ever happened to me." Matthew blushed as the Prussian's unusually kind words and felt immensely guilty about his accusations against Gilbert's fidelity.

"I forgive you." Matthew said before smelling the fresh daisies. "Why don't you come in? I'm gonna go find a vase for the flowers."

"I'll do that." Alfred said, "You go out with him, it's obvious that you two need a date." The American took the flowers and went into the kitchen to find a vase for them.

"Oh _danke_, Birdie." Gilbert cried, he grabbed Matthew's arm and pulled him into a bone crushing hug whispering his words of relief into Matthew's ear. It was one of the first times Matthew realized how much Gilbert needed him to keep him sane.

"Have fun you two. I'll clean the living room by myself." Alfred said waving goodbye to the couple as they walked down the hall together. Neither remembered to shut the door behind them.

"So, where are you taking me?" Matthew asked as they stepped into the elevator together.

"My place, Ludwig and Feliciano went to some concert on Prince Edward's Island and will be gone for a few days." Gilbert said with a grin. "I was thinking you and I could spend some time together?" The tone of his voice told Matthew exactly what Gilbert's intentions were, and Matthew couldn't say that he wasn't looking forward to just him and Gilbert. They rarely had alone time as Matthew had Alfred living with him and Gilbert had his younger brother and Feliciano with him.

"Hm," Matthew sighed contently as Gilbert wrapped his arms around his waist, Gilbert could be so romantic when he wanted to be. "I'd like that, I'd like that a lot."

"Good," Gilbert sounded pleased with himself as they stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby area of the apartment building. "It's been a while since we've had the place to ourselves."

"Yeah." Mattie agreed intertwining his fingers with Gilbert's as they walked down the busy street in Montreal to the bus stop to go across town to the apartment Gilbert now lived in.

The couple wasted no time, barely having the door shut before Gilbert was tearing Matthew's shirt off. The blond moaned as Gilbert's lips mapped out his chest as his bare back was pressed up against the white wall. Gilbert's mouth was the devil, and after three years of being together the albino knew all of Matthew's weak spots and he knew all of Gilbert's. It didn't take the ADHD Prussian to get bored of the wall and pick the Canadian up over his shoulder and carry him into the bedroom. He unceremoniously dumped the purpled eyed man on the bed while fishing through one of the drawers in the nightstand for the blindfold.

* * *

><p>The tongue on his chest felt even better to Matthew's heightened sense of touch now that the red bandana had been placed over his eyes replacing his glasses. Allowing Gilbert to use this on him was his way of apologizing for the yelling earlier, not that Matthew could really say he minded being blindfolded; the protesting was just a front. "Lower Gilbie, lower." He begged as Gilbert's mouth began peppering kisses around his waist, it was antagonizing torture for him. He was positive Gilbert was smirking at his discomfort, revenge for earlier no doubt, it seemed like a Gilbert thing to do.<p>

"Tell me what you want exactly." Gilbert's voice rang out in the darkness that had become Matthew's world; it was slow as if he was dumb not blind though. Matthew didn't care all that much.

"I-" Gilbert kissed Matthew's belly button making the blonde's breathing hitch. "Want" another kiss, this time somewhere in between his belly buttons and the jeans he still wore. This fact annoyed Matthew to no end due to the tent that had built underneath the rough fabric and there was nowhere for it to go. "you" Gilbert's fingers ghosted along the jean's waistband, Matthew groaned at the contact, finally they were getting somewhere. "To" Gilbert's fingers sunk beneath the waist band and lightly touched Matthew's very aroused cock. "Touch me," Matthew's voice came out as a groan, his eyes shut tight enjoying the sensations that Gilbert was giving him. "And fuck me." With that Matthew felt the chilly air created by the fan in the room on the heated areas of his upper thighs. "_Merci Dieu_!"

"You liked that Birdie?" Gilbert asked as he began to pump Matthew's member, he leaned up so that his mouth was right beside Matthew's ear before whispering, "don't tell me you didn't. I only wished I could see your beautiful violet eyes."

"More touching, less talking." Matthew ordered breathily,

"Yes sir," Gilbert mocked, continuing his ministrations to make the Canadian writhe in pleasure.

"Don't make me cum down there." Matthew joked teasingly and Gilbert laughed before quickly falling silent. A frowned formed on the blonde's face, normally Gilbert was loud, sex was no different, and the albino had been unnaturally quiet the whole time.

"Birdie, there- there was a reason I asked Ludwig and Feliciano to leave." The Prussian said soon afterwards, his voice was unnaturally serious. His fingers on the other hands continued their normal journey and one of them entered Matthew's puckered hole, preparing him for something bigger to come.

"God, Gilbert that feels good." Matthew groaned as Gilbert's experienced fingers touched that sweet spot that made him see stars, Gilbert always claimed that he saw yellow birds the color of Matthew's hair whenever someone, namely Matthew, touched him there.

"Marry me," Gilbert said as he slid himself into Matthew, groaning as he did so. Matthew on the other hand was in shock and removed the red bandanna covering his eyes to look into Gilbert's matching red eyes seeing the sincerity in them.

"You're -ah" Matthew groaned as Gilbert his the sweet spot with this hot member, three years of this made both of them experts of their lovers inside and out. "Serious –oh," another thrust to his prostate. "Aren't youuu." Both of them came at the same time, most of their energy had been spent earlier that day fighting with one another.

"I love you, Matthew Williams." Gilbert said as he wrapped his arms around Matthew's waist as they both laid on their sides basking in the after sex glow and reflecting on Gilbert's question. "I always will."

"Gilbert-" Matthew began only the be cut off by said person.

"I know that I sometimes come off as a womanizer."

"Gilbert-" But the Prussian paid no attention to his lover's voice and carried on with his own speech.

"I understand that you might not want to see me ever again after this. I mean if you proposed to me after having such a huge fight about cheating and adultery then I might have second thoughts about ever seeing-" Matthew shifted so that his purple eyes now looked directly into Gilbert's red and put a finger to Gilbert's lips to stop the ramble that had just flowed out of his lips.

"Gilbert." He said,

"What?"

"Yes,"

"Yes what?"

"Yes I'll marry you, you dumbass listen for once." Matthew said before kissing Gilbert so that the Prussian couldn't respond back to being called a dumbass. He was so glad that they were not fighting anymore, so glad that he had agreed to go out with Gilbert, so glad that three years ago he had gone out on that first date with the Prussian. Right now, as they laid together holding each other, all of their past and future fights seemed meaningless, the troubles of their friends seemed to be unable to penetrate their bubble of happiness. They were going to get married and that's all that mattered to them right then and there.

_I couldn't love a man so purely  
>Even prophets forgave his crooked ways<br>I've learned love is a like a brick you can  
>Build a house or sink a dead body.<em>

_I'll bring him down; I'll bring him down, down  
>A king with no crown, a king with no crown<em>

_I'm just a holy fool, oh baby it's so cruel  
>But I'm still in love with Judas baby,<br>I'm just a holy fool, oh baby it's so cruel  
>But I'm still in love with Judas baby<em>

**Author's Note (the part of the story where the author comes out and write a silly note): Wow it's been over two months. I'm slack. No excuses there. Well marching band season is over, whoo! And so is football season, yahoo! (Not a football fan) Hahaha, I am so un-American which is funny cause I am America and Canada in my Hetalia group. Must be my Canadian part. Hahaha. Anyway so according to my best friend I write really good whore scenes. Is that a compliment? I dunno…. Well anyway enough with my ramblings, the only thing I'm going to say is that flames will be sent to my best friend's lama gods (yes the one who said I write really good whore scenes) (I'm never going to let her live it down and if you never hear from me again check the nearest trash dump I might be there).**

**Translations:**

_**Es tut mir leid**_**- I'm sorry or more literally it causes me sorrow (German)**


	9. A Man After Midnight

**A Man after Midnight**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or the song A Man after Midnight.**

Arthur groaned as he woke up, blearily blinking his eyes as light from the outside world hit him. A world he hadn't seen in almost four years, there were no days off at the Russian Sunflower, and Ivan was fiercely possessive of all those who worked there, much like a toddler with toys. In fact if Arthur had to describe his broad chested and extremely tall boss he would say the Ivan was an intimidating toddler. Throwing off the covers, Arthur's right foot slid the six inches off the mattress and touched the cold cement floors that were in the rooms that the prostitutes live in, instantly Arthur jerked his foot away recoiling at the cold. Damn it, why had he come to Canada again? Oh that was right; to get away from his prostitute of a mother and find his cousin who he heard lived in Canada. Well you succeeded in one part of your goal, a voice in his head told him. Arthur easily pushed it aside, he had no time for snarky remarks, he had to make sure that guests such as that annoying Frog were no longer in the building. It wouldn't be the first time Francis had tried to stay all night with his sister just because Arthur hadn't made his rounds at three in the morning telling him he needed to leave.

His foot touched the ground again and Arthur shivered, but he did not pull it back in. "Too bloody early in the bloody morning." Arthur grumbled as he forced himself to get off of the comfortable mattress. He needed a day off, in any other profession he would be allowed days off, then again in probably any other profession he wouldn't have a psycho for a boss.

He pulled on a t-shirt, not really caring that the only other thing he was wearing was his boxers, and padded out of his room making his way to the rooms where guests were allowed, the nicer rooms. Softly he knocked on the door that Monique had been in last night, not to his surprise her elder blond brother answered the door. "'ello?" he said,

"You need to leave, Ivan won't be happy if he finds out you're here this late." Arthur said quietly glancing around as he said his boss's name as if the man would magically appear, not that Arthur would put the man past that. Francis frowned but nodded and allowed Arthur into the room. Monique was on the bed, sleeping peacefully. "She has nightmares sometimes, about the day she was abducted, that you were forced into this life as well." Emerald pierced Sapphires as Arthur looked straight into Francis's eyes.

"Do you protect her?" Francis asked quietly, adverting his eyes away from the Britt's.

"As much as I can, they call me Mom sometimes jokingly. But I try to make sure they don't face Ivan's wrath." Arthur said.

"_Merci_, then. Thank you for doing something that I am unable to do."

"It-it's not a problem." Arthur felt heated; he wasn't use to people thanking him. It only seemed natural that he helped the others since he had been here the longest and because he knew how scary it was to do this, there had been no one here when he first arrived to show him the ropes.

"Tell Monique I love her when she wakes up." Francis said after he had bent over her to kiss her forehead. How nice it must be to have caring siblings, Arthur remarked to himself, he shook his head. No it wasn't Francis's fault that his older siblings had been asses to him.

"Of course," Neither of them ever mentioned that one night the two had spent together almost a month ago. There was no point, it had been a onetime thing and Francis had plenty of other things to worry about.

"I won't be back tonight, but I should be back within a few days." Arthur nodded, all of this he would relay to the sleeping girl once she woke up. "_Au revoir_," the Frenchman said waving to Arthur before leaving. A throb rang through Arthur's heart, as he watched the taller man leave. He shook his head trying to rid himself of unnecessary feelings; he had no time for them, it was better to remain seemingly emotionless. Arthur picked the sleeping girl up; he might as well get her back to her room.

"Wow, Artie, you're up early." Sadiq said leaning against the wall near his room, arms crossed; only wearing a towel from a shower.

"Put some clothes on why don't you." Arthur growled glad that Monique was back in her room so she didn't have to see Sadiq's indecency.

"I'm waiting for someone."

"Like that?" Arthur snorted; he knew that Sadiq and Herakles had to be sneaky to avoid detection by Ivan, but seriously in the shower? Other had to use it too. "I hope you washed it out, if I ever see anything in it I'll personally ring both of your necks."

"Prude," Sadiq muttered as Arthur walked off pretending not to hear Sadiq's comment.

"Morning," Toris said as Arthur entered his bedroom making sure he had gotten up. The Lithuanian man was in good spirits which told him that Felix had been over last night.

"Hullo," Arthur said in reply, "Is Lovino up yet?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Alright, I'm going to go wake him up then." Arthur headed down the hall to the next door and raped on the door before opening it. The cranky Italian was sleeping, naked, like always, and they said he had no decency, Arthur sniffed. "Come on Lovino, wake up."

"Go away, bastard." Lovino snapped, Arthur raised one of his cursed enormous eyebrows.

"If you don't get up I'll pour a bucket of cold water on you." Arthur said calmly, Lovino opened up on hazel eye looking at Arthur.

"Oh, it's you. I thought you were someone else." He muttered while sitting up and pushing back his blanket.

"I'm sure," Arthur replied, "Well come on up and at 'em, its nine. We've got a busy day ahead of us." Today was the busiest day of the week. Shows started at five instead of six-thirty and that meant that they all had to get ready earlier.

"I use to like Fridays." Lovino grumbled pulling on a pair of boxers.

"I'm sure," was Arthur's remark back,

"Who fucked in your cheerios?" Lovino snapped standing up, his usual scowl on his face.

"More like who fucked in the shower."

"Ew, I'm going to kill both of them."

"Francis stayed late again."

"Keeping tabs on that wine bastard now?" Lovino asked with a smirk, Arthur ignored his comment and walked out of the room, he still had to wake Monique up.

Arthur smiled to himself as he pulled the neon orange fishnet shirt over his head; it was nice to wear something other than his pirate costume for once. He looked at himself in the mirror; he looked more like a hooker now and less like he was going to some costume party. "Hey, Lovino, Monique, boss man says he wants to see you in his office." Im Yong Su said poking his head into the dressing room. Through the reflection in the mirror he could see Monique pale with fear and Lovino shrug with nonchalance, he had never met Ivan, he didn't know how scary the man was.

"What does he want them for?" Arthur asked, maybe he could go in Monique's place, Ivan liked him, well liked him like he was a child's favorite toy.

"Didn't say, he said only Monique and Lovino, no one else, sorry." Im Yong Su said with a shrug. Arthur watched the scared girl and Italian walk out following the Asian man.

"Something's up." Sadiq said eyeing the Asian man suspiciously as the trio left the dressing room. "I don't like this. We should all be on our guard tonight."

"_Hai_," Kiku agreed nodding his head, like Arthur the Japanese man was not dressed in his normal Keisha garb, but in a hooker outfit as well.

Arthur had the last performance of the night and he was jumpy during the whole time he was waiting behind the curtain, watching as one by one the others went out in front of the curtain to perform till it was only him left. Kiku was out there right then performing leaving him all alone to his thoughts and no one to quell his fear on what Ivan wanted with Monique and Lovino. Normally it was him Im Yong Su would say Ivan wanted and everyone knew what Ivan wanted from him. He was Ivan's favorite toy, favorite sex partner, favorite person to take his anger out on. How would he explain this to Francis the next time the blond came to be with his sister, he had asked him to watch her, and at the moment he had no idea where she was.

And then Arthur heard the doors burst open and someone over a bull horn say "This is the police, everyone is to remain calm." And of course they wouldn't and it would be mass chaos out there. Prostitution was illegal after all despite as they say it being the world's oldest profession. Arthur took a deep breath; chances were that they didn't even know he was behind the curtain, in which case they wouldn't be looking in the area anytime soon. This could be his chance to escape, he could find Francis and tell him what was going on, he could be free for the first time in four years.

He peeked out from behind the curtain, there was no sign of Kiku out there and it looked as if the police at the moment were only rounding up patrons. But there were at least two guards guarding the exits making that way impossible for Arthur to escape through. None of the rooms had big enough windows for him to crawl through even though he was shorter than most people, none but the one in Ivan's office. Arthur shuttered as he thought about the many times Ivan had forced him over the side of the desk in the office and pounded into him enjoying the sounds of Arthur's screams as he was fucked raw. His ass hurt just thinking about it. But no one would be there, Ivan was long gone, he had obviously known about the police raid that was going to happen, it wouldn't have surprised Arthur at all if Ivan wasn't back in Russia already.

Ivan's office seemed cold and foreboding even without its normal six foot three smiling occupant. It had bare white walls with cracks that ran down from the ceiling formed who knows when, Arthur supposed that the room had probably been the manager's office when the building use to be a warehouse, many, many, many years ago. Ivan had bought and renovated the place to turn it into the hellhole it was today. A brown desk split the room in half; Arthur tried not to stare at it too long as to prevent the rush of memories surrounding it. Behind the brown desk was a black whirly chair, Arthur felt vomit rise in his throat as he remembered the time Ivan decided to fuck him in the chair while spinning it at breakneck speeds, no he couldn't focus on that now. In the back right corner was a filing cabinet that was locked at all times and only Ivan had the key which he kept on a big metal ring along with a dozen of other rings as cliché as that might sound. Beside the filing cabinet was the window Arthur was looking for.

Arthur stopped beside a brick wall, resting on it while he tried to catch his breath. It felt wonderful to be outside again despite the circumstances of the police raid. Ivan had been forewarned, it was the only explanation as to why he had taken the only two people that if discovered there would put him behind bars for a very long while. He had to find Francis and Antonio, warn them about what had gone down at the Russian Sunflower and the disappearance of their loved ones. But he had no idea of how to even contact them. He knew that they both attended McGill University thanks to Lovino, but the school year hadn't started and so that was a useless option for him.

He kept wandering the streets, not caring how late it was getting or the fact that he was dressed like a slut in such a nice neighborhood not that looks that people gave him bothered him too much anymore. He wanted to get as much distance between him and that God forsaken place as it was humanly possible.

He couldn't remember when he stopped walking and sat down in the alley way to sleep the next morning when he woke up, he just remembered walking. He didn't get up right away, figuring he was safe from prying eyes of passer byers in the street due to the green dumpster right in front of him. The sun was already high in the sky and his stomach rumbled with hunger, but he didn't move for behind his protective barrier, too afraid to be seen by normal people. With nothing to do, Arthur fell back to sleep.

"Do you think he's alive?" An American accented male voice said rousing Arthur from his slumber. Something barely kicking his leg making him want to frown, but he didn't. It would be better if he just kept pretending to sleep; maybe whoever it was kicking him would go away along with his companion that he was talking to.

"Alfred," another voice hissed, Canadian this time but still male, "yes he's alive, can't you see his chest moving?"

"He looks like a hooker." A third voice commented, also male.

"Well, why's he in an alley then at six in the afternoon" the American, Alfred, said.

"We finally caught up with you guys." A very familiar, with a slight French accent, voice said. "What are you guys looking at" Footsteps came closer, the sound vibrating off the close vicinity of the walls.

"A hooker," Alfred said almost cheerfully. Arthur wanted to snort; this kid had no idea just how close to the truth he really was. "He's sleeping in the alley. Mattie, I think, wants to help him."

"Arthur." Francis said sounding shocked to see him, which was no surprise to Arthur because he was supposed to be at the Russian Sunflower selling his body.

"You know him?" the Canadian asked quietly,

"_Oui_, he works with Lovino at the Russian Sunflower. I spoke with him yesterday about Monique." Monique, Lovino! They had been taken by Ivan yesterday to God knows where.

"Why is he here?" Antonio's voice asked, it was not a cold tone to his voice, but also not very inviting either. Arthur wondered why no one had bothered to try waking him up yet. He did need to tell them about Lovino and Monique.

"I ran away," Arthur said ending the charade; he didn't open his eyes though.

"Woah, he's awake." Alfred said,

"Yes, git, I'm awake." Arthur said opening his eyes to see a honey haired blond with sparkling blue eyes hidden slightly, but not fully, by a pair of square rimmed glasses. Beside him was another blond man with violet eyes, he too wore a pair of glasses. Arthur looked over to Francis and Antonio before frowning, trying to figure out to explain the situation.

"What happened?" Francis asked,

"Last night there was a police raid. I dunno about anyone else, except the Ivan took both Lovino and Monique when he escaped. I'm sorry I couldn't protect her."

"Come on. Francis said offering him a hand, which Arthur took gratefully, and helped him stand up on his wobbly feet. "You shouldn't be out here by yourself."

"Thank you." Arthur mumbled looking down at his bare feet that now had cracked soles and ached, it would only be a little bit farther. Then he began walking beside Francis out of the alleyway and down the street.

_Give me, give me, give me,  
>A man after midnight<br>Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away  
>Give me, give me, give me,<br>A man after midnight  
>Take me through the darkness to the break of the day.<em>

**Author's Note (The part of the story where the author comes out and gives a silly note): So we've finally reached the turning point in the story. I estimate no more than ten more chapters left, but don't quote me on that. I will say that we will be seeing a lot more of Ivan now… yeah I won't tell you what he's got in store for our heroes (and damsels in distress). Hehehehe (laughs evilly). I've had this part of the story written down since before I published this on fanfiction, this was how my best friend found out Arthur was a hooker (I hadn't written down the other parts yet) and she was a bit shocked. Remember flames will be sent to the llama gods (and I didn't misspell llama this time). Yeah…. So I think that is everything I wanted to say.**

**OH Yeah, one more thing FRUK! Okay I feel better now. I love FrUk, that is my OTP which is funny cause I haven't actually yet published a fanfiction staring just those two… that should change soon though. Anyway Adieu. **

**Oh Yeah, another one more thing (I really need to get organized, you know). The prequel for those of you who don't already know is posted, it's called Spanish Carnation, I'm on a whole flower theme for this series. Yep okay now that is all.**


	10. The Last Night

**Last Night**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or the song Last Night by Skillet.**

"_Re̍veiller mon cher, s'il vous plait_." Said a voice that reminded Arthur of silk, the hot breath on his ear made it tickle and he shifted uncomfortably, shying away from it. The bed felt nice, too nice, and Arthur didn't want to dispel the dream and wake up on the hard mattress he always woke up on and have to roll onto the cold cement floor and get up to wake the others just as he did every day. Sadiq and Herakles hopefully hadn't done unmentionable things in the shower again.

"Morning _cher_," Francis said as Arthur opened his eyes. This wasn't his room in the Russian Sunflower, this was Francis's room. So yesterday hadn't been a dream after all, he had escaped, he was free.

"How long did I sleep?" Arthur asked as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. The sun was shining brightly in between the white curtains in the room. He looked around the bedroom, he couldn't really remember too much after Francis found him in the alleyway and so he wasn't exactly sure what the room he had slept in looked like. It was larger than his room at the Russian Sunflower, probably twice the size, but it was a normal size for a bedroom. The walls were a cream color and there were a couple of pictures that dotted the walls. One in particular caught Arthur's eyes, it was a picture of a younger Francis and Monique probably not taken too long before Monique had been kidnapped.

"Long enough for Tonio and me to go to mass and come back." Francis said smiling, Arthur raised an eyebrow, they were gay and Catholic an interesting combination. "How long has it been since you slept on a real bed?" Arthur just gave him a half smile not really feeling like answering the question.

"A while."

"How did you end up in Canada?" Arthur didn't answer right away. He wasn't sure if he wanted to tell an almost stranger his past.

"I ran away," he said finally, "I was looking for my cousin. He lives in Canada, or did. I dunno my mom and his mom are estranged. I never found him." Arthur gripped the orange bed sheets firmly turning his knuckles white as he did so. He didn't look at the blond man beside him just continued to look at his reflection in the mirror across the room.

"Hungry?" Francis asked standing up. "There's some old clothes of mine in the closet. You might have to roll up the sleeves still. We'll take Feliciano and go shopping for clothes tomorrow." Arthur wasn't sure what to say, why was he being so nice to him, he hardly knew him?

"Thank you." Arthur said softy, Francis smiled back to him, linger to look at him at the door. Then the door shut with a small click noise behind the Frenchman. Arthur got up and padded quietly over to the closet to find the items Francis had mentioned.

Arthur sighed as he smoothed out the white button down shirt again. The sleeves were rolled up as Francis had predicted, but surprisingly the look worked for him. Four years, four years he had been just about imprisoned and he had missed so much: movies, high school, the last Harry Potter book; and now he would have to adapt back to a normal life. Could he do it? Or would he scares of the last four years hold him back?

"Arthur, are you going to eat?" Francis asked, peeking his head in the room. His long blond hair was tied back in a ponytail, it made him look more charming, Arthur thought before wanting to slap himself. Where were these thoughts coming from? Yes, they'd had sex, once, but Arthur had, had sex once with plenty of other men, what made the irritating French man special?

"Uh, yes, I'm coming." Arthur said glancing at his reflection and trying to smooth out the wrinkles in the shirt one last time.

"Guess I should warn you then, my cousin Matthew and his step brother Alfred are over. Mattie's concerned about you." Francis said, Arthur nodded and followed the blond out of the bedroom and to the dining room where the two blonds from the previous evening and Antonio sat around a table.

"Come on, eat." Francis said indicating to the plate of mash potatoes and steak that was laying before an empty seat. The other three occupants of the table were already half way through with their meal. Arthur blinked before sitting down in front of it, he was trying to decide if it was real or not. He hadn't eaten anything of the sort before, not even when he lived in England. His mother had never been around to cook dinner and the only thing his older brother Wolfbric could cook was beef stew from a can.

"He didn't poison it." The blue eyed spectacled boy said, laughing. Arthur nodded and began shoveling the food into his mouth enjoying the taste. This was the best cooking he had ever tasted in his life. "Careful, don't choke." Arthur didn't pay him any mind or Francis's and Antonio's laughter that followed, he just wanted to fill his belly.

"Alfred," the violet eyed spectacled boy said chastising his brother, then he turned in the direction of Arthur. "So you watched out for Monique?" Arthur looked up, his mouth was full of food, looking like a hamster, and nodded. "Thank you."

He swallowed before speaking realizing how undignified he had looked previously when he had been shoveling food down his throat. He had always prided himself in behaving like a gentleman even if he wasn't one. "She's a strong girl." Francis smiled and handed Arthur a mug with black liquid in it. "Thanks."

"Francis likes to see someone enjoy his cooking." Matthew said smiling,

"Hey! I eat Francis's cooking too." Alfred said in protest as he put his fork down.

"No, you inhale it." Francis retorted, "I'm not sure if you taste it or snort it." The others around the table laughed at the honey haired blond whose face was now set in a pout. Arthur smiled as he sipped the cocoa from the mug he'd been given, savoring the taste. Everything now took on a special meaning, from the steak and mash potatoes to the family setting he was now in Arthur knew he wouldn't take anything for granted anymore, especially not a family. He'd never had a family really before, not even in England. Arthur had three older brothers and one older sister, and they all had different fathers, the only one Arthur had gotten remotely along with was Wolfbric the second youngest next to him. Alfred opened his mouth to rebuttal the others but was cut off by a knock at the door.

"It's open!" Antonio shouted. The white door was in an enclave that bordered the kitchen area and the wall between this and the neighbor's apartment. It opened and Arthur looked up to see an aubern haired boy, probably Monique's age, with a familiar looking curl on the left side of his head. There was no mistaking who he was, Feliciano Vargas, Lovino's younger brother. It wasn't until the mug shattered did Arthur even realized that he had dropped it.

"Sorry, sorry," Arthur said bending down to pick up the broke ceramic pieces, only to cut his fingers one the edge of one of the pieces. "Shit." A slightly callused hand took his wrist and helped lead him to the sink.

"You must be more careful." Francis chided, turning the sink on and allowing the cool water to run over Arthur's cut fingers.

"I'm not a child." Arthur snapped, embarrassed that he had been so clumsy. "It was an accident."

"I know, _mon cher_." Francis said with a smile, "You're not the first to break my mugs."

"Toni, isn't that the pirate guy Frannie slept with?" a silver haired man with bright red eyes asked, he was now sitting in the spot beside Matthew where Arthur had previously been sitting.

"Don't call me that I have a name." Arthur said raising his voice, his cheeks had flushed red and embarrassing tears pricked his eyes. Why was he acting this way, had he really expected anyone to look at him differently?

"Wasn't it Iggy or something?"

"Gilbert!" Matthew said outraged.

"It's Arthur, Arthur Kirkland." Arthur's voice had taken a dangerous tone to it suddenly. "I don't want anything to do with that vile name ever again." He was reminded of back when he threatened rival gang members in the dark, shady streets of London when he was angry at everyone and everything.

"Really Gilbert!" Matthew said, "Can you ever think before you speak?" The silver haired man shrugged.

"What's going on, Luddy, I don't understand?" Feliciano whined to a tall blond man that Arthur hadn't noticed before, the tall blond man sighed.

"I'm not sure either, Feli." He answered,

"Feli, this is Arthur Kirkland, he will help us find your brother." Arthur eyes widened as realization hit him as to the kindness the others had shown him, they only wanted his help in finding Lovino, he would be discarded afterward like the trash he was.

"You know where _mi fratello _is?" Feliciano asked his brown eyes wide with happiness. "Is he okay? Is he hurt? What happened to him? Why hasn't he tried to contact us? Where is he?" The young Italian shot off so many questions Arthur found his head spinning, the brothers were obviously nothing alike.

"Lovino can't contact you, he was kidnapped by the same man who kidnapped Monique. He is trapped at a place known as the Russian Sunflower, a brothel of sorts." Arthur said, "I worked with him there."

"_Fratello_ is a prostitute?" Feliciano gaped, "Why?" He turned to Francis. "Did you know?"

"We all knew except for you and Ludwig," Francis said, "You two were at the concert in Prince Edward's Island, we didn't want you to know." Arthur watched as the big brown eyes filled up with tears.

"It's going to be okay, your brother will be back with you safe and sound, I promise." Arthur said bending down beside the distraught Italian boy.

"I miss him." Feliciano said the tears running down his face. Arthur suddenly found the tan boy clinging to him, tears being cried into his sleeve. He wasn't sure what to do, crying wasn't something he knew how to deal with.

"I made some steak, Feli, do you want some of big brother's steak?" Francis asked, but Feliciano shook his head and continued to cling to Arthur.

"He blames himself for his brother's disappearance." Francis said later that night after the others had all gone home and Antonio was in his room sleeping most likely. Arthur and Francis were sitting on the couch, a mug of hot chocolate in both of their hands. "Lovino had gone back to their father's house to pick up some of Feliciano's art supplies. They had both moved out about a month before after their father found out they were both gay. He was a homophobe you know, both of them had kept their relationships with Antonio and Ludwig secret for years. He never came back. None of us had any idea where he could have been either. The police searched everywhere, they suspected that Octavius Vargas killed his eldest son but they could never find the body or the murder weapon." Francis looked distant as he spoke, he kept changing how he was holding the mug in his hands, but he wasn't doing it consciously.

"How did you find him then?" Arthur asked.

"Felix Lukasiewicz, he's a friend of an old friend of ours at college. He told her about Lovino being at the Russian Sunflower and later confirmed threw his boyfriend Toris that Lovino was there. Then we went to the Russian Sunflower to quell Antonio's fears and the rest is history." That made sense Arthur guessed, Felix would want to help anyone who could take down Ivan and the Russian Sunflower. Felix had been visiting Toris and the Russian Sunflower for years, trying desperately to help the Lithuanian escape from the Russian's grasp. Arthur had helped sneak the flamboyant gay man in plenty of times.

"You guys will rescue him and Monique, I'm sure of it." Arthur said before downing the cooled hot chocolate.

"Tell me about yourself." Francis said suddenly eyeing the Britt. Arthur shivered uncomfortably and frowned.

"What's there to know? I was a prostitute for four years and before that I was a gang member in London." Arthur said with a shrug. "My mother was a prostitute, she had five kids and I was the youngest. When I was fourteen I had enough and went to Canada to find my cousin, his name is Alfred. But I met Ivan first and I became a prostitute working at the Russian Sunflower."

"Monique told me that Ivan sexually assaulted you in front of the others." Francis said quietly, Arthur cringed at the memory. Ivan had been angry for god knows what reason and he had stormed in the dressing room.

"He was going to attack Monique and I stopped him. In front of all the others he pulled down my pants and shoved his dick into me. He didn't stop, not when the others begged him to and certainly not when I begged him to. When he was done he left, as if nothing had happened. It wasn't the first time and it wouldn't be the last time he forced me to have sex with him." Arthur said staring at the blank white wall in front of him.

"Another time he shoved office supplies in me to see how man would fit. There were so many times that I couldn't work for days after he was done with me. He's a psychopath only he doesn't kill people. But he can't feel emotions not like we can, and he views us as dolls, mere play toys for his amusement and he doesn't know how to share." Arthur looked over to see Francis's reaction only to find that the Frenchman had moved closer to him.

"I won't let him hurt you ever again." Francis said running his fingers through Arthur's sandy blond hair. Arthur stiffened, not sure how to react to the caring man.

"If he ever wanted me back, there would be nothing anyone could do to stop him." Arthur said, "He always makes sure that he never shows all the cards in his hand."

"I won't let him." Francis repeated,

"Why? Why do you care so much? You hardly know me. For all you know I could be just as heartless as he is." Arthur cried jumping to his feet and away from the man who made him feel safer than he had ever felt before.

"You wouldn't have protected my sister if you were heartless. I- I know that you have a hard time understanding that there are such concepts as love and caring out in the world with all you've been through." Francis stood up as well and grabbed Arthur's wrist, his mouth becoming dangerously close to Arthur's ear. "But I care for you Arthur, I have gotten to know you over the last month however brief we may have seen each other. You want people to believe that you are cold and heartless so that no one can hurt you ever again, but you are really a little boy who wants someone to protect you the way you've been protecting everyone else. Let me protect you now."

"You won't let him hurt me again?" Arthur asked quietly as he felt his carefully built façade crumble right before him.

"Never." Francis said breathlessly and Arthur believed him, allowing the Frenchman to wrap his arms around him and soothe him. "_Je pense que je t'aime_, Arthur."

_This is the last night you'll spend alone,  
>Look me in the eyes so I know you know,<br>I'm everywhere you want me to be  
>The last night you'll spend alone,<br>I'll wrap you in my arms and I won't let go,  
>I'm everything you need me to be,<em>

_I won't let you say goodbye,  
>And I'll be your reason why,<br>The last night away from me,  
>Away from me.<em>

**Author's Note (the part of the story where the author comes out and write a silly note): I'm back, holidays are over and I hope you all had a good one. Some FrUk finally. I know I know I'm the writer, but sometimes I feel as if the story has a mind of its own. I want to thank all of my reviewers and Story Alert people and Favorite people all of them make me feel special. Don't forget to review, and remember all flames will be sent to my best friend's llama gods.**

**Translations:**

_**Re̍veiller mon cher, silvous plate**_**: Wake up my dear please. (French)**

_**Je pense que je t'aime**_**: I think I love you (French)**

**If any of my translations are wrong please tell me I don't speak French at all. I tried to tell my friend the other day I was hungry in French and ended up say I have wife. Hahaha.**


	11. What Lies Beneath

**What Lies Beneath**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or Breaking Benjamin.**

Arthur sighed as he looked at the stack of clothes Francis and Feliciano had picked out for him to try on, they liked this kind of stuff a little too much for Arthur's taste. It seemed more like torture then any kind of fun to him, but that could just be that he was the manikin. The stack on the chair had to have at least ten items in it, as much as the dressing room would allow someone to try on at one time and this was the seventh store they had been in trying clothes on. Well he at least had been trying clothes on, Francis and Feliciano were there because they were apparently fashion experts thanks to their nationalities, whatever that meant. Another sigh. For the past four years he had been told what to wear, when to wear with no questions asked and before that Arthur hadn't cared too much of what he looked like to go clothes shopping.

"Arthur, if you don't come out soon, I'll go in and help you dress yourself." Francis teased, he was waiting just outside the dressing room door while Feliciano was over by the communal mirror of the dressing rooms as if he was going to run out on them or something again. He had learned not to try to escape a mad Frenchman and Italian with clothes at the first store they had gone to today. No wonder Antonio had wished him luck when Francis announce that morning that he and Feliciano were going to take him clothes shopping. They might have sucked at the art of war, but the French and Italian were dangerous when it came to playing Barbie.

"You won't do anything of the sorts!" Arthur shouted, "Bloody Frog!" Frog, the British term for someone French and for Francis the name had seemed to stick for whatever reason with Arthur. He didn't need all these clothes really, but Francis had thought it would be a good thing for Feliciano to get away from the apartment he shared with the idiot Gilbert and his little brother Ludwig who just so happened to be Feliciano's boyfriend.

"Why not? It's not like I haven't seen you-"

"Don't you dare finish that." Arthur interrupted, his face was flushed red and he was glad that the man on the other side of the plastic door couldn't see him. But he certainly didn't need Francis to announce to the whole dressing room that they had had sex either.

"But, _Sourcils_." _Sourcils_, Francis's nickname for Arthur in retaliation for Frog, it was a reference to Arthur's humongous eyebrows he had inherited from his mother. All of his siblings had them except Morghan the only girl. "You have to come out of there at some point."

"That doesn't mean you get to watch me change, you foppish twit." Arthur snapped, pulling on a pair of light blue jeans the Frog had picked out for him to try on. They were surprisingly comfortable, not those ridiculous skinny things that people seemed to wear now days. Then he threw on a sweater vest he had picked out himself. It was completely different style from what he had ever worn back in London, but he was a different person now. He had never thought he'd be in the Russian Sunflower as long as he had been there, only an STD or age would make Ivan get rid of you. Arthur knew that there was no way the rich clients who came to the Russian Sunflower would have something so low class as an STD, and he had at least twelve more years before Ivan would probably even consider getting rid of him because of his age.

"After this store we'll go to the food court and get something to eat." Francis said in a sing song voice, Arthur looked back at the stack of clothes on the chair. Only a few more minutes and he could escape from this torture for a little while.

"Good, I want pasta ~ve." Feliciano chimed in with his strange verbal tic; it reminded a lot of the dance teacher at the Russian Sunflower who said aru all the time. Francis laughed and Arthur pulled off the clothes and put them in the keep pile.

"And so then the fire alarms go off and everyone has to evacuate the school and Gilbert's laughing his ass off the whole time despite the fact that we're about to get in trouble for fooling around in the chemistry lab." Francis said as they hung out in the food court, bags of clothes hung off of the four chairs around the little plastic table they sat at. Francis had paid for it all assuring Arthur he was extremely well off and that it wasn't that big of a deal to go on a shopping spree every once in a while. Arthur liked listening to the stories about the Bad Touch Trio, Francis, Antonio, and Gilbert's nick name at the high school they had gone to, and the others.

"They were always in trouble," Feliciano agreed, "_Fratello_ would always complain when Antonio couldn't walk him home because he was serving a detention. The little Italian waved his fork with some kind of corkscrew pasta on it around. Arthur smiled and glanced around the food court, he wasn't sure why, but he felt as if they were being watched for some reason. But nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

"Doesn't surprise me." Arthur said as his eyes laid on familiar platinum blond hair. Natalia Brangski, Ivan's psychotic younger sister and she was looking right at him. He pushed back his chair, his heart beating rapidly. He was ready to put up a fight if Ivan was there too, he wouldn't go back there.

"Arthur, something wrong?" Feliciano asked as Francis looked over at Natalia.

"Who is she, Arthur?" Francis asked calmly also pushing away from the table.

"Ivan's little sister." Arthur whispered, the other two paled as the Russian's name.

"Let's go then. We don't want to cause a scene." Francis said still as calm as before, he and Feliciano grabbed the bags and the trash from their meal while Francis lightly grabbed Arthur's wrist and lead him out of the food court and away from the woman who should have been locked away in an insane asylum a long time ago.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Francis asked after they had dropped Feliciano off at home and they had made it back to the apartment without any sign of Natalia following them. It had been a quiet ride home, no one dare talk for whatever reason. Arthur shook his head; there wasn't anything to talk about. He had let Ivan get to him when he should have been safe from Ivan's clutches. "Alright, I'll be in the bedroom if you want to talk." Arthur snorted; sometimes Francis reminded him of the mother he had always wanted, calm, caring, someone he could tell all his deep dark secrets to.

"Kay," Arthur said, he watched the blond walk down the hall to the bedroom that they had decided to share for the time being. Then Arthur curled up on the couch, arms wrapped around his knees, seeing Natalia at the food court had scared him more then he thought it could have. But she didn't scare him nearly as much as the silver haired man who would undoubtedly find out about the sighting. When he worked at the Russian Sunflower he hadn't even dared to hope that he'd find something better, something more than performing and whoring. But now, now he had found that something better and he would fight his damn hardest to keep it.

"I hate you," he whispered to himself, as if the Russian man would be able to hear it and understand his hatred. Ivan was incapable of understanding emotions though. "I hate you." He said louder, his whole body shaking with the rage he suddenly felt for the man who had stolen four years of his life.

In fact as cliché as it sounded, it had been Ivan who had taken his virginity away, even on the cold streets of London he had managed to keep that, somehow. But his first night at the Russian Sunflower Ivan had taken it, his first customer. Arthur laughed bitterly out loud. He had never been able to forget that night despite how many other people he fucked, or how much he told himself that night didn't matter.

"_What- what are you doing in here?" Fourteen year old Arthur asked, he had been changing out of well-loved Sex Pistols t-shirt and into a plain white one when the tall Russian man opened the door to his new room. It wasn't much of a room, but Arthur was revealing in the fact that it was his and he didn't have to share it with anyone else despite the fact that it wasn't that big at all; back in London he had shared a room with two of his older brothers Wolfbric and Brian. Ivan had told him that he wouldn't have to start work until tomorrow whatever work that may be. _

"_I'm here to show you the ropes of your new job." Ivan explained as if it was the simplest thing in the world, a sick smile was on his face and for the first time Arthur began to regret his decision to take Ivan's job offer till he could find his cousin Alfred Jones._

"_Oh, okay, let me change then." Arthur said moving to grab the Sex Pistols t-shirt that had been discarded on the bed just mere minutes before._

"_No need, you won't need your clothes." Ivan said sweetly as if he was an old grandmother offering children cookies laced with arsenic. It made Arthur's skin crawl._

"_W-what do you mean?" Cold realization washed over him and he tried to back away from the advancing Russian. Ivan had explained that the Russian Sunflower was a brothel of sorts, but Arthur hadn't actually believed that the intimidating man wanted him to whore, wasn't there laws against those kinds of things? "No, no, I don't want to a whore. I didn't realize this is what you meant." Arthur protested finding himself backed into a corner quite literally as well as figuratively._

"_This will go so much more smoother if you don't protest." Ivan said with the same sickly sweet voice as before. He grabbed Arthur's_ _hands and forced them above his head leaving Arthur extremely vulnerable. "I don't want to make this any harder for you." Arthur snorted, not believing the man's words for a second. He felt his pants disappear and he tried to cover up, but it was to no avail._

_Something warm and wet and extremely slimy ran up and down the bottom part of Arthur's member and he shivered with disgust. "Take notes, young one, this is how you'll pleasure a client tomorrow." Arthur felt like throwing up with just how disgusted he felt at the moment. He knew that there was no way out without some kind of miracle. Everyone thought he was on his way to Detroit to live with his aunt Abigail not in Montreal Canada working as a prostitute at some upscale whore house. Fingers from the hand that wasn't restraining his wrists began to probe around his other hole. Hot tears rolled down his face as he was helpless to do anything about his current situation._

Ring! The sound of the home phone ringing pulled Arthur out of the horrible memory, not that Arthur was too upset about that, there was no need to reawaken old wounds. "Ello?" he said into the white phone that rested in the kitchen.

"Hey is Arthur there?" asked the voice of Alfred, the obnoxious American-born who scarfed down food like there was no tomorrow.

"This is Arthur," Arthur replied slightly irritated, couldn't the idiot distinguish a French Canadian accent and a British one on the phone?

"Oh, you sound different on the phone. Anyway, what's your Mom's name?" Alfred said suddenly jumping to an unexpected topic.

"Elizabeth, Elizabeth Kirkland. Why?"

"My mother's name is Abigail Kirkland, and about four years ago she called my father asking him if we'd seen her sister's youngest son Arthur." Arthur paled, unsure of what to say to Alfred's story. The idiot he had met yesterday was his cousin, the cousin he had been looking for all along. How cruel the world could be sometimes. "He was supposed to be visiting her.

"Alfred-"

"What happened?" Arthur sighed, there was no way Alfred would drop this was there? He sat down on a chair by the table; this would be a long discussion.

"I didn't want to go back to London. Mum, she- I- the others. I came to Canada to find you, to find a better life then what I had. I- I was a thug on the streets, and I finally realized I didn't want that."

"You came to Canada looking for me? Well, you found me. Albeit, a bit too late." Arthur frowned, how could Alfred joke about this?

"Alfred-" Arthur tried to start, but was unsure of what to say. What did one say in a situation like this?

"Arthur," Alfred said he sounded unsure of himself; it was so unlike the boy he had met yesterday. He seemed much more serious today, Arthur wondered if he did that often.

"Yes,"

"We're family," It was a statement, Arthur got the feeling the honey blond would feel the same way even if they weren't blood related. "I don't care if I hate my mom, I don't care what your past is. I'll help you out, not matter what." Arthur found his voice and words escaping him to make any kind of response back.

"I- I- thank you. You don't understand how much that means." Arthur said the words coming out awkwardly as he spoke.

"It's what family does, Artie, we look out for one another." Alfred said nonchalantly. "Hold on a second Matthew I'm talking to Artie. Okay, okay. Sorry Arthur, I've got to go."

"Okay,"

"So, who was that?" Francis said standing in the hallway, his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He had a concern look on his face mixed with a hint of jealousy that made Arthur's eyebrows raise.

"Alfred," Arthur said with a shrug placing the phone back on its dock. "He was checking up on me." Arthur watched as Francis's sapphire blue eyes darkened slightly with jealousy, why did Francis care that he was talking Alfred?

* * *

><p>Ivan had been mad, angry, furious, there were no words to describe the emotion he had been feeling ever since he'd discovered Arthur's treachery. His pet had run away and that was something Ivan did not forgive. But Ivan knew that one way or another he'd get Arthur back. He was not blind to Felix, the annoying cross dresser that kept visiting Toris, or to the blond man who had visited Monique every other day for a whole month or even that Sadiq and Herakles had started a relationship. He was blind to nothing in the Russian Sunflower. There was no one for Arthur to run to, he would come back to him sooner or later.<p>

"Brother, I have the best news." Ivan's platinum blond sister said walking into his office unannounced much to his annoyance. Natalia helped him run the place, helped him keep order. She loved her older brother, perhaps more than as a sister should love her brother, not that Ivan minded all that much. As long as she understood that he needed his toys and she couldn't harm them. He loved her, she was his sister after all, but that didn't mean she wasn't expendable.

Ivan looked up from the paperwork he had busied himself with. "Hm?" was his only response.

"I've found your runaway toy." His younger sister beamed with pride.

"Good, where?" he clapped his hands together in joy. The sooner Arthur came back the sooner he could play with his favorite toy again. Maybe he should play with the girl just to torment him, tell him if he had been there he could have prevented her pain just as he always did. Arthur always had had a soft spot for the young girl, a soft spot Ivan was only too happy to exploit.

"The mall," Natalia passed him a picture of his pet happily eating with a blond man and another boy with a strange hair curl much like the Italian who had been sold to him the past summer, a relative perhaps, Ivan mused. If Lovino had anything to do with Arthur's escape, he would kill him, painfully. But it seemed as if his pet had made some friends after all, he would just have to force him back to the Russian Sunflower one way or another.

"Get all the info you can find on Francis Bonnefoy and Feliciano Vargas." Ivan said darkly ripping the photo in half.

"With pleasure," Natalia said before walking out of the room.

_All in all,  
>You're no good<br>You don't cry  
>Like you should<br>Let it go  
>If you could<br>When love dies in the end_

_So I'll find what lies beneath  
>Your sick twisted smile<br>As I lie beneath  
>Your cold jaded eyes<br>Now you turn the tide on me  
>'Cause you're so unkind<br>I will always be here  
>For the rest of my life.<em>

**Author's Note (the part of the chapter where the author comes out and writes a silly note): I'm back, I know after a month of no updates I'm back. I really need to get better at organizing my life and my fanfictions. Well good news is that spring break is right around the corner and I should have plenty of time then to write. More good news is that good deals of the later chapters are already written and just need some minor tweaking so that should make updating faster as well. Yay!**

**I know a lot of you are asking to see Lovino and the Russian Sunflower but the muse fairy said no for this chapter sorry. Please review and remember all flames are sent to my best friend's llama gods. I don't know if this is demanding too much but could you tell me in your reviews if you've seen an improvement in my writing style, stagnation or a decline. All criticism is welcome as long as it's helpful, no more go throw your computer away in a dumpster and burn it please, I do need my laptop for school papers you know. Anyway like Tigger always said ttfn, tata for now!**


	12. Leaving on a Jet Plane

Leaving On a Jet Plane

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or "Leaving on a Jet Plane" or Star Wars**

"I don't understand," Francis said as he lay on the couch in Matthew and Alfred's apartment. It was a plain white upholstered couch, but it was comfortable that Francis greatly enjoyed lounging on it, especially when he was talking an issue out with his cousin. "I told myself that I wouldn't allow anyone in after Jeanne, so why do I feel this way about Arthur? I got so jealous when Arthur so much as looks in another man's direction and I really have no right to." Francis let out a dramatic sigh and continued to stare up at the white ceiling with those funny little bumps that when you peeled one off seemed to be like foam. "I mean yesterday, I got mad that he was talking to Alfred. I never worry about people talking to Alfred." Francis sat up slightly to look at Matthew who was sitting on the matching white upholstered loveseat. Matthew shook his head, his cousin the supposed export on the subject of _l'amour_ couldn't even tell when he fell in love. "I hardly know him."

"Alfred? You've known him most of your life." Matthew said trying to lighten up his cousin's mood. Francis never was good at brooding, when he started to feel down Francis immediately tried to find sex. Matthew watched his cousin for almost two years now find solace in the primordial pleasure; to be honest it was painful. After Jeanne's untimely death life had seemed to have no meaning to Francis until he found out Monique was still alive. Now Matthew was beginning to see the old Francis, the one he had known up until the January of Francis's senior year, and if Arthur Kirkland was the cause of that then he would encourage his cousin to have a relationship with the former prostitute. "Sometimes our hearts make decisions and our brains have to catch-up. I mean when we were younger Gilbert Beilschmidt was the last man on the planet I would have considered marrying never the less dating, and yet here we are."

"You've always had a soft spot for Gilbert." Francis pointed out sitting up so that he now looked at his cousin properly.

"Yeah, but I couldn't imagine being married to him. I always thought I'd get married to someone like, like Han Solo or Luke Skywalker." Matthew's face was right red; he wanted to hide his face so that his cousin couldn't tease him about it later like Alfred did. Alfred had accidently walked in on him once jacking off to a picture of the two heroes of the original Star Wars trilogy when they were younger and Alfred still hadn't let him live it down yet.

"Well Gilbert is a very rouge character. I bet he'd role-play for you." Francis said with a wink, this time Matthew did cover his face with his hands as he shook his head back and forth with embarrassment. He could still hear Francis laughing though. "Especially since you're leaving Saturday." Saturday Matthew left for college in Quebec City, Gilbert though was staying in Montreal much to both of their displeasure. The albino had found a small community college that would accept his high school grades, which were nothing to brag about, in Montreal as well as the fact that Feliciano and Ludwig were already enrolled at a local high school for their senior year.

"Francis," Matthew whined,

"You're so cute, _Mathieu_, Gilbert is a very lucky man." Francis let out another long and dramatic sigh and Matthew looked over at his French cousin again. "He baffles me, you know." Matthew had the feeling they were no longer talking about his fiancée anymore. "One minute he seems so vulnerable and the next it's as if a ten inch thick titanium wall has been built around him and I'm not sure he'd let anybody in." Matthew nodded, but he was also well aware of the walls Francis himself had built around himself to protect his own heart, especially after the death of Jeanne.

"Maybe if you let your guard down, he'll let down his." Matthew suggested in a quieter voice then he had been using previously. This was something that had to be dealt with gently or he risked that even he would be pushed out of Francis's trust.

"I don't want to lose anyone that I love ever again." Francis's voice was barely above a whisper making it hard for Matthew to hear. But it was also full of vulnerability and was something Matthew hadn't seen since he had walked in on Francis's trashing his parent's house right after Jeanne's death.

_ Matthew was worried about Francis, he had left right after the funeral in a hurry and Matthew was worried very much of what his cousin might do all alone. It wasn't fair to Francis, to have so much taken from him; his little sister, his mother and now his girlfriend. Matthew hoped with all his might that he hadn't done anything rash; Matthew wasn't sure how he would take another loss like this._

_ He hopped out of the car, barely turning off the engine before leaving it. Then he took the cement steps two at a time as he quickly made his way to his late aunt and his uncle's house, though as of late no one really resided in it as his uncle was too drunk to ever find his way back home and Francis often stayed at Matthew's house or Antonio's. Even from outside of the blue door, that was open a crack, as if the person who last went through didn't care if it was open or not, Matthew could hear china breaking and the creaking of breaking furniture. What was Francis doing in there? "Francis?" he called out hesitantly as he gripped the gold knob and swung the blue door open. The living room looked as if a tornado had just swept through it, the couch was laying on its side, the cushion's ripped out, the chair that Francis's father had always sat in was barely recognizable. It looked as if Francis had taken the butcher's knife to it and shredded it. The coffee table laid on the ground, legs side up, everything that had been on it was now on the floor in a scattered mess surrounded by the broken pieces of lamps and little knick knacks that had belonged to his aunt and uncle. Even the TV was strewn across the floor._

_ "Francis!" Matthew shouted, now desperate to find his cousin before he became volatile and ended up doing something he would really regret. "Francis!" he heard movement up stairs and quickly made his way up them. The master bedroom door had been forced open, it was hanging slightly off its hinges. When Matthew went to go take a look though, there was no one in there. "Francis!" Then he heard it, the sound of muffled sobs, they were coming from Monique's old room. Matthew quickly left the master bedroom, he must have interrupted Francis before he could destroy that room and Matthew knew there was no way Francis would destroy his sister's room._

_ Francis sat in the middle of Monique's room, cradling one of the younger girl's favorite dolls from growing up. It was one of those look alike dolls that his younger cousin had received as a gift from their parents as a girl. "Francis," Matthew said to make the older boy aware of his presence. "You don't have to do this alone."_

_ "But I am alone, there's no one left for me. I should just die." Matthew still wasn't sure what possessed him all the sudden to slap Francis, leaving a nice red mark on the French boy's face._

_ "You're not all alone, you have me, and Alfred and Mom and Dad and, and Antonio, and Gilbert and even Lovino and Feliciano and Ludwig. We're your family now. We will take care of you. You can't give up, Frannie." Matthew begged, he got down on his knees beside Francis and wrapped his arms around him. "You're not alone."_

_"I miss them," Francis said not even trying to hold back his sobs anymore._

"If you don't open up, you'll never love." Matthew said softly,

"I know," Francis replied miserably.

The room fell into silence and Matthew wondered if Francis would ever be the same. The Frenchman held so much in and hardly ever allowed himself to break down. It wasn't healthy, and Matthew had tried to get him to see a therapist or a counselor or someone to help him deal with his emotions. But Francis wouldn't have it, and every time Matthew brought it up, Francis shut down on him.

"Are you happy?" Matthew asked, breaking the silence. He looked down at his feet unable to look in his cousin's sapphire blue eyes.

"Some days," Francis said, "Most days. But I miss them, and some days it seems to take all my energy just to get out of bed in the morning never mind trying to face the day ahead of me. But, to be honest, I've learned how to pick myself up from everything and just keep moving forward." Matthew nodded and looked up at Francis who was chuckling to himself as there was a private joke hidden within his words that Matthew was missing.

"I'm worried about you." Matthew said. There he said it, the words he had been meaning to tell Francis since they turned to this topic. "I'm really worried about you, and I hope, I hope with all my heart that Arthur's going to be good for you."

"Matthew, I'm fine. Really, I've moved on. I'm getting Monique back and I'm going to become an actor. I am moving on." Francis said with a smile, it was almost believable if Matthew hadn't seen the cracks in the mask Francis was trying to put on. Francis was moving on, he was right about that, but he wasn't healing.

"I hate you," Matthew said darkly, getting up off the love seat he'd been sitting on, "I hate you."

"Matthew, I don't understand." Francis said, he looked confused by Matthew's words. Matthew ignored the tears that were threatening to fall as he lashed out finally at his cousin, Francis was like a brother to him just like Monique had been the sister he had always wanted.

"I hate you! You can't see all of that are here for you! You try to make us believe that you aren't hurting anymore. I'm not an idiot Francis, don't think for a second I can't see your mask. How can you expect to take care of Monique when you can't even take care of yourself?" Matthew shouted not even trying to push back the tears he had been holding, he just let them out. Francis was an ass, how could he not see that everyone was here for him still. Why did he try to pretend as if the things in life didn't bother him anymore?

"Matthew!" Alfred said coming out of his bedroom, Matthew turned around to look at his brother. "You can't force him to do anything he doesn't want to do." Matthew nodded, Alfred was right of course. When did his goofy brother get so wise? Matthew was grateful to Alfred, his step brother had always been there for him, always. Even when Matthew didn't realize his brother was there, he was.

"Francis, I want you to go into counseling. I want you to heal, not move on." Matthew said his back to his cousin. "I want you to become someone who can be Monique's big brother, and not a shadow of himself. You've been that for far too long."

"Hey, do you want to watch Empire Strikes Back?" Gilbert asked as he and Matthew cuddled on the couch in Gilbert's apartment later that night. Empire Strikes Back was Matthew's favorite Star Wars movie, the idea of lovers being separated by someone evil like Darth Vader pulled at his heart strings. But Matthew wasn't sure that even that could make him feel better. He had been down since his fight with Francis. It had been necessary though, Francis needed to know how he, Matthew, felt too. He wanted Francis to be with Arthur, he also wanted Francis to get better.

"No, I want you to hold me." Matthew said snuggling closer to Gilbert, his head lying comfortably on Gilbert's chest while the albino's arms were wrapped around him.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"No," Gilbert rested his head on top of Matthew's and Matthew found himself finally relaxing in Gilbert's arms. Gilbert's arms always made him feel safe and secure, always made him feel loved.

"I'm going to miss this." Gilbert said quietly, Matthew nodded. He inhaled a deep breath as if to capture Gilbert's scent to take with him up to Quebec City. Gilbert smelt like Gilbert, it was a smell that was hard to describe, but it made Matthew feel at home. A feeling washed over Matthew suddenly, a feeling that he would never feel the albino's arms ever again. He pushed it away, he was just thinking that way because he was leaving and it would be a while before he saw Gilbert again.

"Hold me tight, and never let me go." Matthew whispered as he fell asleep in the arms of the man that he loved.

"Always," Gilbert whispered as he kissed Matthew's forehead.

"Brother," Natalia said hurrying into Ivan's office in almost a skip. She had good news for her beloved brother. News that would make him love her even more then he already did. Maybe he would marry her finally. She had always wanted to marry her older brother, though he did not like the idea of marriage.

"Natalia," Ivan said letting her know that he acknowledged her presence in his office.

"Matthew Williams, cousin of Francis Bonnefoy and Monique Bonnefoy is going to Quebec City for college."

"Excellent, we shall have the leverage we need to reel back in our little lost fish." Ivan said with a childlike smile on his face that no longer bothered Natalia as she had one to match.

_I'm leaving on a jet plane  
>Don't know when I'll be back again<br>Oh babe, I hate to go_

_But I'm leaving on a jet plane  
>Don't know when I'll be back again<br>Oh babe, I hate to go._

**Author's Note (the part of the chapter where the author comes out and write a silly note): So yeah, this chapter took on a whole lot more darker route then what I originally intended and I cut out a whole brotherly scene between Alfred and Matthew. Le sigh, oh well. Maybe I'll add it at the end as an extra or something. Or make it an Omake. I dunno depends on reviews. God I hate being sick. The plot is thickening dun, dun, dun, duh. Anybody scared yet? Wondering what Ivan has up his sleeve? Please tell me if anyone seemed a little OOC, danke. Any way don't forget to review, all flames will be sacrificed to my best friend's llama gods (they're getting hungry).**


	13. Comatose

Comatose

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or Comatose**

_**There she was, standing right in front of him, smiling, beckoning him to follow her through the meadow. She was dressed in all white, and there seemed to be a halo above her dark blond hair. She had never looked more beautiful. "Jeanne!" He shouted trying to tell her to slow down, that if she got any farther ahead of him he wouldn't be able to catch up to her. And then she was gone and in front of him stood his mother, her light brown hair and purple eyes that reminded him of Matthew's. They shared the same prominent chin, the same charming look that swept people of the same and opposite gender away "Maman!" He shouted, but just like Jeanne she too beckoned him to her and he tried to go after her as well only to have her get too far ahead of him.**_

_** "Francis," called his sister's sweet voice from behind him.**_

_** "Francis," called Matthew's voice also from behind him.**_

_** "Francis, come on Francis." Gilbert and Antonio shouted, coming from the same direction as his sister and cousin's voice.**_

_** "Francis," Alfred shouted,**_

_** "Francis"**_

_** "Francis" All of the voices began to blend together, he wanted to turn around and see them, but he couldn't. He had to follow Jeanne and his mother, to catch up with them and tell them how much he missed them.**_

_** "Francis!" a single voice in the crowd of voice said loud and clear, Arthur's. "Francis, you can't follow them. You have to let them go." Francis nodded, knowing that Arthur was right. They were dead and there was no point in trying to follow the dead. But he couldn't bring himself to turn away from them, he could see them now up on the horizon. They were waving to him; they too seemed to be shouting his name. "Let them go Francis."**_

_** "I want you to heal, not move on!" he could hear Matthew shout, his cousin was angry. Angry that he couldn't turn around to face them, that he couldn't let go of his Maman and Jeanne.**_

_** "Francis!" Monique's voice said, "I forgive you."**_

_** "Become someone who can be Monique's big brother and not a shadow of himself. You've been that for far too long." Matthew's voice stung but Francis still couldn't bring himself to face him.**_

_** "Maman! Jeanne! Wait, please!" Francis shouted, his feet started to move in their direction. He could hear female giggles ahead of him that had to be them. Then a hand grabbed his own.**_

_** "Francis, don't do this. If you follow them, you risk losing all of us." Said Arthur's voice, Francis finally looked behind him to see everybody else that he loved. His grandparents, Monique, Matthew, Aunt Alice and Uncle Franklin, Alfred, Antonio, Mr. and Mrs. Carriedo, Gilbert, Ludwig, Feliciano, Lovino, Elizaveth, Rodriech, his teachers, acquaintances from college, and Arthur. It was Arthur who had grabbed his hand and made him look and see everyone he would leave behind.**_

_** "Don't go," Monique shouted, he could see tears that wanted to fall from her sapphire blue eyes. And he was the cause of them; he would hate himself if he ever made Monique cry again.**_

_** "Francis, can you really leave all of us behind?" Antonio asked, "Do we mean that little to you." Francis shook his head trying to tell his friends that he just wanted to see them again.**_

_** "We can be your family now, if you'll let us." Feliciano said Francis nodded.**_

_** "Let us go, Francis." His mother's voice said, he could feel her warm hand pushing him to go with the others.**_

_** "I can't." Francis protested, "I miss you, I don't want to let you go."**_

_** "You will never be happy if you don't." Jeanne's voice said in a disappointed tone. "You have so much in life to look forward to. Go with them Francis, you'll regret it if you don't."**_

_** "Go, and don't look back." His mother said,**_

_** "Francis, I love you too." Arthur said and finally Francis found himself being able to move towards Arthur and the others. To his family.**_

"Ah, you're awake finally." Arthur said, he was leaning over Francis in a very awkward position. He jumped away slightly as he realized how close the two of them were making Francis chuckle. Arthur's face turned to a very cute shade of red that made Francis wonder how much redder it could get. "You were talking in your sleep." Arthur said as if that explained everything. He started to move away, but Francis reached out from where he was laying on the couch and grabbed Arthur's hand and pulled the Britt in closer.

"Thank you,_ mon cher_." Francis whispered and kissed Arthur's palm.

"What are you doing, you bloody Frog!" Arthur shouted jerking his hand away from Francis.

"Thanking you," Francis replied with a smirk, Arthur could be so silly sometimes. Francis sat up, he felt better, as if the weight of the conversation he had, had with Matthew two weeks ago had suddenly been lifted off his shoulders.

"For what?" Arthur snapped, "Have you finally lost it, Frog?" Francis shook his head laughing.

"For bringing me back and making me realize how much I have here."

"You've lost me." Arthur said giving his head a shake. Francis ignored the comment and stood up, stretching his arms above his head. The shirt he had worn rose about four inches though and Francis didn't miss Arthur's blush and turn of head as he ogled at Francis's tone stomach. Francis liked his stomach, actors had to stay in peak condition, not only to keep fans coming back, but also because one never knew what they were going to have to do for their next performance.

"Shall I make breakfast?"

"Be my guest, you're cooking is better than mine." Arthur said with a shrug.

"Amen to that." Antonio said, Francis looked over to see his best friend sitting at the table, smoking.

"I thought you to quit that." Francis said, it was his fault that Antonio had begun smoking in the first place. He had begun smoking right after Jeanne died to take the edge off from everything and somehow Antonio had picked it up too, Gilbert wouldn't let them smoke anywhere near him though which made it difficult for all of them and nearly made them stop talking all together. It was Matthew who convinced Francis to stop smoking, and Lovino who convinced Antonio. The weeks afterwards had been rough as they stopped their addictions, but they had been successful, or at least Francis thought they had been.

"I did," Antonio replied blowing out smoke, "I'm just stressed." Francis frowned, he could smell the sweet tobacco and it called to him. Francis was sure that even after almost a year of not smoking that even one cigarette would put him back close an addiction again.

"Well put it out, I won't have smoking in here." Francis said hands on his hips. "Lovino would be ashamed."

"Lovino's the whole reason I started smoking again." Antonio said, his voice rising, "His breaking up with me put me over the edge. And then his disappearance, and the thought of him sleeping with some other man, and" SLAP! Arthur's palm connected with Antonio's cheek.

"You're an idiot, Lovino loves you. But what you're doing right now, he would be disappointed in." Arthur said, "You will see him again, I promise you." Francis stood in shock as he watched tears fall from Antonio's eyes; he had very rarely seen Antonio cry before. He had always been so strong; it was one of the many things he had admired about his Spanish friend. But even the strongest had their breaking points.

"So breakfast anybody?" Francis asked trying to break the tension that had suddenly filled the apartments.

"I'm going for a walk." Arthur said grabbing his windbreaker off the hook by the door and leaving the apartment.

"I'm going to take that as a no then." Francis said watching the smaller man leave.

"I've got school today, I'll grab something there." Antonio said standing up, Francis nodded. McGill started back last week, but Francis didn't have classes on Wednesday. The Spaniard left the apartment as well, but didn't slam the door nearly as hard as Arthur had. Francis glanced down at the pack of cigarettes Antonio had left on the table. One couldn't hurt him, right? He reached over to grab the carton and pull one out when Matthew's words hit him again.

_ "Become someone who can be Monique's big brother and not a shadow of himself. You've been that for far too long."_ Monique wouldn't want him to be smoking either, she wouldn't be proud of him for turning his lungs black. She needed someone strong. He picked up the carton of cigarettes and walked over to the trash can, Antonio didn't need to have these in the house to tempt him anymore. Well, he could at least make himself some breakfast even if no one else wanted to eat.

He pulled out the Styrofoam carton that contained less than a dozen eggs now as he had cooked with a few, and cheese from the fridge, then walked over to the cabinet and pulled out garlic, pepper, and chives to put in the omelet he was making. He hummed while he worked as to avoid the silence that had filled the once loud apartment. There had been a time over the summer when the apartment had always been filled with people; it seemed to be the hang out place for all of their friends. But now everyone was in school except Arthur who didn't seem to mind so much. He was talking about trying to find some way to make up high school but he wasn't sure how he was going to do that.

Francis couldn't deny that he felt more for the former prostitute then just friendly feelings, if his dream this morning was any indication just how much influence the Britt had over him. Was it love? Yes, Francis was almost sure it was, why though his heart had chosen a man who was as broken as he was and just as stubborn about letting anyone know was a mystery to him. Still how would he tell him, it would have to be special; he was French after all and they were known for a certain sense of charm. But then again, he was sure that the Britt wouldn't want anything that seemed too fast either. Arthur had been through a lot, he had been hurt a lot and betrayed, maybe he should take it slow. Start with friendship and work their way up.

Francis flipped the omelet over, just the right golden color. Gilbert had always said that if acting didn't work out for him being a cook would. Cooking though was just a hobby, something that he was good at but would probably not what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

"I'm back," Arthur said walking in the door just as Francis was about to eat the egg he had just cooked. The Britt hung up the wind breaker and looked over to see what Francis was eating.

"Do you want half?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"A cheese omelet, my mother taught me how to make them. She was a good cook." Francis said splitting his breakfast in half with the spatula and pulling out another plate for Arthur. "Do you want toast? It goes along well."

"Your Mom, I heard what happened to her from Lovino. I'm sorry." Arthur said quietly, "I doubt my Mom cared that I left, it was one less mouth she had to feed."

"Don't say that, Mom's love their children. They may just not always know how to show it." Francis said slamming a plate on the table. Arthur just shrugged in response and sat down in front of the other plate.

"She had a funny way of showing it, she didn't care that I was a punk on the street. She just cared about her next client and her next joint. It was Wolfbric who would chastise me when I came home late and bandaged my wounds when I was a lad. I wonder if he misses me." Arthur laid back in the chair not yet touching his omelet.

"I would be shocked if he didn't." Francis said, "Do you want butter on your toast?"

"Sure,"

"So agreeable this morning, who are you and what have you done with the irritable Britt who lives with me?" Francis teased lightly poking Arthur's arm with his fork.

"Can it, Frog."

"So mean, _mon cher_." Francis said with a dramatic sigh as he cut his omelet with his fork. Arthur rolled his eyes and began to eat as well. It felt nice being with Arthur, it felt right and not at all forced. Francis wondered absentmindedly if the Britt would agree with him as he snuck glances to watch the sandy haired man eat. He still ate like a hamster, as if the food was all going to disappear if he didn't shove it into his mouth as quick as he possibly could. Was it from London or the Russian Sunflower, Francis wondered.

"So what are your plans for today?" Arthur asked when he finally swallowed the huge amounts of food in his mouth.

Matthew hummed to himself as he walked up one of the huge hills that Quebec was famous for. It was a nice day, not quite cold but not hot either, right in the middle and Matthew wanted to enjoy every minute of it that he could spend. He wasn't too concerned about being mugged or anything in Quebec; it had one of the lowest crime rates in the world, so he couldn't exactly say that he was really paying all that much attention to where he was going. After he went to wherever he was planning on going, he wanted to call Gilbert and just talk for a little while. It was nice to hear his voice again; he was so used to hearing it on a day to day basis that not hearing seemed wrong.

Suddenly Matthew was pulled into a side street that didn't have anyone else on it; a cloth was being forced over his mouth. Matthew tried not to breathe in the sweet scent that had filled his nostrils; he had read too many books to actually breathe. But his lungs wouldn't be able to keep this up for very long. "It's taking too long." A man with a childlike voice said and something very hard connected with the back of his skull. "Now our pieces are ready for a check mate, we just have to wait for Arthur to make the next move." And then the world went black.

_Comatose  
>I'll never wake up without an overdose of you<em>

_I don't wanna live, I don't wanna breathe  
>'less I feel you next to me<br>You take the pain I feel  
>(Waking next you never felt so real)<em>

_I don't wanna sleep, I don't wanna dream  
>'Casuse my dreams don't comfort me<br>The way you make me feel  
>(Waking next you never felt so real)<em>

**Author's Note (The part of the chapter where the author comes out and write a silly note): Dun, dun, duh! (think of the annoying lady from the 1930s serials when it ends in a cliff hanger) Oh No! Matthew's been kidnapped by unknown evil villains! Who will save him? **

** The plot is thickening. I can't believe how far we've gotten. The next chapters have been written already, and they've been written since June with a few minor tweaking. They will also be graphic especially the chapter after the next. If you don't wish to read them, you can skip them and continue reading after the next two chapters are over. I understand. People have been asking for more Spamano and I promise its coming, just not yet.**

** Now please review and remember flamers will be sacrificed to my best friend's llama gods. They're hungry.**

**Okay so one last thing before I end this ridiculously long Author's Note and I'm going to try that bribing idea so when we get to 101 reviews I will award that reviewer with a short story of their choosing of any paring except USUK which I hate with a passion, sorry to and UsUk lovers reading this story but I hate that pairing. Okay so we're at 82 reviews right now (as of the time I'm writing this) so let's see if we can get nineteen more reviews.**


	14. Past the Point of No Return

Past the Point of No Return

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or "El Tango de Roxanne" or **_**Moulin Rouge **_

**Warning: Mild rape**

"What are you thinking about _mon cher_?" Francis inquired putting down the bag of groceries on the counter. Arthur was sitting at the kitchen table deep in thought. Arthur blinked as he looked up at the Frenchman. "Are they good thoughts?" Arthur sighed and looked away from the blond in front of him before speaking.

"I was thinking about the others. I want to be out helping you guys rescue them. But I'm afraid to go back there, back to the Russian Sunflower, even though I know there's no way Ivan's still there cause they moved. I'm afraid he'll catch me again." Arthur said, his voice was quiet and his whole body visually shivered when he mentioned the Russian Sunflower and Ivan, his former boss there.

"_Non_, I-we won't let him catch you again." Francis said quietly leaning over the Britt to give him a hug. "And if you want to help rescue them you can, no one's going to stop you."

"Monique she always acted like she was smarter than the rest of us except when she thought she was alone, and I would hold her. She told me about her family, how she missed you particularly, she told me she thought we would fight a lot. And Toris was full of hope, he was so certain about things like Felix coming and rescuing him from Ivan. He was so quiet and full of doubt about himself, but he had a way of seeing beauty in people when they didn't want to see it in themselves." Arthur rubbed his eyes trying to dispel and tears from coming as he talked about his friends. "Sadiq, he and Herakles always were fighting and we were always joking that they had a thing for one another, which would have gotten them in trouble with Ivan. Relationships like that were forbidden, how could we have sex with our customers if we were in love?" Arthur's voice was bitter as he spoke. "Kiku, he could draw the most interesting pictures of us and often did. I think he was the only one of us who truly enjoyed dressing up." Arthur shook his head letting out a chuckle. "I can only imagine what Ivan is doing to them now because I got away."

Francis took Arthur's face in between his hands and forced the Britt to look at him. "Listen, whatever Ivan does to them is not your fault. It's Ivan for being such a bastard." Arthur flushed red as his and the Frenchman's proximity, they were so close that if he just leaned up their lips would touch and Arthur was certain that Francis' kisses would be like heaven. No, he couldn't there was no way he could be in love with Francis; he was a prostitute why would Francis even look at him like that. He was only setting himself up for disaster, he had to pull away.

"You don't understand!" Arthur shouted and Francis let him go, looking a bit hurt.

"You're right I don't understand. I've never been in your position. Sure I've slept around, maybe more then you have. And I did it for the wrong reasons. But I've had friends before, and bad things have happened to them. But I can't blame myself. There's nothing I could have done to have prevented their situations from happening. You don't even know if Ivan's hurting them!" Arthur looked at Francis dumbly.

"I-I, it doesn't matter. It's a different situation." Arthur protested before standing up and walking away from the kitchen leaving a dumfounded Frenchman behind him. He flopped down on the couch in the living room and laid there face down till he heard the door open again and that damn Prussian's obnoxiously loud voice.

"Hey we got a package!" He said,

"By we, I think you mean Antonio and I. We're the ones who own this apartment; you've got your own." Francis corrected him.

"I didn't even hear the post man ring the doorbell." Arthur mused to himself.

"No, it's addressed to all of us, even Arthur. That's weird; I didn't think anyone knew he was living with you two." Gilbert said and Arthur could visualize the confused frown on the self-proclaimed Prussian's face at the fact that someone had sent them all mail. It worried Arthur a little bit too.

"Should we open it or wait till dinner when everyone's here to open it?" Francis asked, tonight they were all getting together for dinner. Francis wanted to try a new dish and he wanted everyone to try it, besides they all liked to get together and hang out at least once a week.

"Now obviously," Gilbert snorted, Arthur stood up from the couch and made his way back over to the kitchen where the best friends were. Gilbert was breaking the tape that was packaged all around the box with a key while Francis watched leaning against the wall looking very sexy, Arthur mentally slapped himself for that comment, arms folded and looking worried.

"Do you want a box cutter?" Francis asked amused, Gilbert only shook his head and kept attacking the tape with his key.

"Jeesh whoever sent this used a lot of tape." Gilbert complained five minutes later as he was still cutting the tape off of the box. The trio heard a key in the lock and the door swing open.

"_Hola_ everybody, I'm home!" Antonio said in a sing song voice. "They let us out of class early today. Oh, hi Gilbert, I wasn't expecting you here, is Ludwig and Feliciano here as well?"

"Nah, I dropped by after my class got done, those two won't be out of school for another half hour." Gilbert said, "We got a package."

"Oh? What's in it?" Antonio asked bending down to peer at the brown box.

"We don't know yet, idiot. The awesome Gilbert hasn't opened the box yet because he's using a key to open it instead of something shaper like a pair of scissors." Arthur said a bit annoyed with the lot of them.

"The awesome me doesn't need something as unawsome as scissors." Gilbert protested, but Antonio ignored him and reached for the red handled scissors that were in the drawer two feet away from the table and cut the tape. A frown had formed on his face as he read the black marker that the address had been written in.

"There's no return address." He said quietly, Gilbert quickly put his hand into the box and pulled out a DVD in a small clear case that one might put a cd in and a brown box slightly smaller than the box that it had arrived in.

There were instructions on the DVD case written in blue pen. '_Watch the DVD first'_. Arthur shook as he looked at the blue scrawl, he knew that handwriting. He had read it for four years telling him what costume he should wear. "Ivan sent it." He whispered,

"Do you think it could have something do with Lovi?" Antonio asked, Francis growled and grabbed the DVD from Arthur's hands.

"The bastard is toying with us." Gilbert growled as Antonio began opening the other box.

"Gilbert, have you spoken to Matthew recently?" Antonio asked, his hands shook as he looked in on the contents of the box. Arthur's eyes widened, what was in the box that was about Matthew? The albino paled too and he turned to look at Antonio and Arthur. For the first time Arthur saw fear in those red eyes.

"No, I thought he was mad at me. I- he- do you think Ivan has him?" Gilbert said, he looked as if he was going to fall as Antonio pulled out Matthew's favorite red sweatshirt that had blood spots spotted all over it.

"I'll kill him." Francis growled gripping the DVD so hard it almost broke. "There won't be anything left of him once I'm through."

"Francis, we should at least watch the DVD, there could be something important on it." Antonio protested putting down the box. Francis sighed and walked to the living room the other three following him. He placed the metallic disk on the round indentation in the DVD player. Gilbert turned the TV on with the remote while Antonio and Arthur sunk into the couch never taking their eyes off the TV screen.

The huge Russian filled the screen, a childish smile playing on his face. "Hello Arthur, how are you? You ran away, you know how much I hate it when you try to separate from Mother Russia don't you?" Arthur paled as the huge man addressed him, what could the son of a bitch have in store for him. "How rude of me. Hello Francis, Ludwig and Feliciano. I can assure you Lovino is alright. Isn't that right Toris?"

"Y-Yes," a voice said from off screen.

"Bastard," Antonio said angrily his fist tightening up.

"Ah Gilbert and Alfred, I think you two are going to enjoy this show very much. I hear Quebec is beautiful this time of year. It's too bad Matthew won't be able to see it."

"No," Gilbert said, "No, no, not Matthew." The Russian moved slightly and Arthur could see his step cousin lying on the ground behind Ivan.

"Say something to our audience, Mathvey." Ivan said sweetly addressing the Canadian.

"Damn you Bastard. I'm not going to be your leverage. You hear that! Whatever he offers don't-" But he was cut off by Ivan's hand over his mouth.

"Ivan," Toris' voice said quietly, "D-don't h-hurt h-him."

"Would you prefer if I asked someone else to record this? Hm, that sounds like a good idea." The TV screen went black and then Ivan appeared in it again.

"Bastard, let Matthew go, you're sick. And you're filming this?" Said the all to familiar voice of Lovino Vargas, "And you're going to send it back to my friends. That's sick and wrong, you're a Bastard."

"Does he even realize he's repeating himself?" Gilbert asked,

"No, probably not." Arthur replied,

"I hear you have a brother, Lovi," Antonio growled at the screen as Ivan used one of his nicknames for the Italian. "They say he's cuter then you are. I wonder, instead of trading Mathvey for Arthur should I trade him for your little brother."

"_Bastardo_!" Lovino shouted and they saw him lunge for the Russian man aiming for his throat.

"Hey, _Bruder_, are you here?" They paused the DVD as they heard Ludwig's voice and the door open.

"Ludwig, Feliciano, why are you here? Shouldn't you be at school?" Gilbert asked paling and trying to stop the couple from entering the living room.

"It was a half day; Luddy took me out for ice cream. That's why we're so late." Feliciano said happily,

"_Bruder_, what's wrong?" Ludwig said and saw that his brother was glancing nervously at the TV screen before forcing his way in. "_Bruder, was ist dieses_?" He looked at the others in horror.

"Ivan's idea of a sick joke." Arthur said angrily, then he turned to face the Frenchman he'd been arguing with earlier "And you told me that he wouldn't harm the others." He shot a finger at Francis who was too horrified at what he had been watching to rebuttal. Antonio shifted on the couch slightly and accidently hit the abandoned remote's play button.

"Leave my _fratello_ out of this!" Lovino shouted as he was flipped by Ivan onto his back. Then Ivan proceeded to kiss Lovino as the Italian tried to push him off.

"_Fra-fratello_?" Feliciano asked watching the TV in horror as well from his position in the kitchen. Gilbert sighed and let the Italian into the living room with his boyfriend. Ivan laughed as he got off of Lovino and pulled down the Italian's pants.

"No," Antonio whispered in horror, "No, no, not my Lovi."

"Get off of me you, shit faced, Vodka drinking bast- aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh" Lovino screamed as Ivan penetrated him with one of his fingers. The Russian pulled out of him and then thrusted in two fingers making the Italian scream out in pain again.

"Lovino!" Matthew shouted struggling against his bonds to stand up.

"_Fratello_!" Feliciano shouted trying to run to the TV screen, but was held back by Ludwig who stroked his hair and whispered soothing word into the distraught Italian's ear.

"Would you rather I do this to, what was his name, Feliciano or your darling Antonio." Lovino eyes widened as he mentioned the Spaniard. "Don't think I don't know about this." And he yanked the chain with the engagement ring on it off of Lovino's neck with his non-preoccupied hand.

"Stop, give it back to me. I'm sorry, I'm sorry Antonio." Lovino cried,

"Turn it off, I've seen enough." Arthur said standing up his whole body shook in rage, who did Ivan think he was doing that to Lovino. And Lovino, it was all his fault that this was happening to the Italian if he hadn't run off then Ivan wouldn't have needed to go to such lengths to gain him back. "I'll meet him where ever he wants."

"How noble," Alfred said sardonically no one had noticed the American enter, "Do you think he'd give Matthew back if you did? You said it yourself Ivan is a possessive man and my brother is just too much leverage for him to give up."

"Now it's Mathvey's turn." Ivan said, he had pulled out of Lovino during Alfred's entrance.

"No, no, stop please. Don't hurt him, he's innocent." Lovino protested struggling to his feet. He winced in pain and didn't try to hide it anymore.

"Is he really?" Ivan asked smugly,

"Mr. Brangski, Mr. Brangski." The door opened to reveal a blond girl in school girl's costume and pigtails in her hair. "Mr. Brangski, you called-" she looked from Lovino and Matthew to the video camera. "Matthew? Why? Why are you hurting them?"

"Get out," Ivan said darkly,

"No, no, no," Arthur said in horror, if Monique was tortured like the others it would crush him.

"Mr. Bragnski, stop this madness now!" she said her hands on her hips,

"I warned you." Ivan said making a grab for her but she dodged out of the way of his hand. Her hand came up to hit him, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her close to his chest so that everyone could see her blue eyes and her uncanny resemblance to Francis. "So Arthur, either you come to the docks at nine tonight or Monique will be my next bed warmer." He threw her to the ground and walked over to the camera to turn it off.

The room was deathly quiet for a minute before Francis spoke. "If you're going to meet him, you're not going without back up."

_I did it all for you, and all for nothing_

_Farewell, my fallen idol and false friend  
>We had such hopes, and those hopes are shattered<em>

_Too late for turning back, Too late for prayers and useless pity_

_Say you love him, and my life is over_

_All hopes of cries for help,  
>No point in fighting<br>For either way you choose, you cannot win_

_Either way you choose, he has to win_

_So do you end your days with me  
>Or do you send him to his grave?<em>

_Why make her lie to you to save me?..._

_I fought so hard to free you_

**Author's note (the part of the story where the author comes out and writes a silly note): Yes I am well aware that the lyrics that I used are from Down Once More/ Track Down this Murder from Phantom of the Opera, but I thought Point of No Return had a better ring to it, so please no reviews telling me that my song is wrong, I'm well aware. Ah the choice Arthur must make, go back to Ivan and free Matthew and prevent Monique's rape or stay with Francis and doom his friends, decisions, decisions. Oh and if Matthew's name is wrong in Russian please tell me so that I can fix it, I looked it up on Google, but I would like a second opinion. Please Review and remember all flames are sent to my best friend's llama gods.**

**Translations:**

**Bruder, was ist dieses: **_**Brother, what is this?**_


	15. El Tango de Roxanne

El Tango de Roxanne

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or "El Tango de Roxanne" or **_**Moulin Rouge**_

**Warning: Rape**

_Jealousy  
>Will drive you<br>Will drive you  
>Will drive you<em>

Francis' whole body shook in rage as he walked away from the docks, Matthew in his arms being carried bridal style. He hated having to leave his Arthur behind to the whims of a madman who had already proven today that he didn't care who got in his way as long as he got his way. What childish notions this man had. And that, Francis' believed, made him all the more dangerous.

That man could be doing unspeakable things to Arthur already, his fist clenched as he imagined Arthur and the madman Ivan. He knew it was going to happen, he could only pray that Ivan would not tape it and send it to him. He didn't want to see anything like that again. Especially not with Arthur, delicate Arthur, who had taken much abuse in his short life. Francis wanted to help put the Britt back together when all this was over. He wanted to be the one to stroke the hay colored hair when he had a nightmare, or to hold him after a night of blissful sex. He loved Arthur Kirkland despite only having known him a month. It felt longer than that, it felt like a life span. And imagining him with that Russian was making Francis see red.

He had to get Matthew to the car and then the hospital, to makes sure that nothing had happened to him off camera. If anything had, well Francis was positive that the police would have to arrest every member of the Bad Touch Trio with murder of Ivan Bragnski.

_Mad!_

_Roxanne, you don't have put on that red light,  
>Walk the streets for money<br>You don't care if it's wrong or right._

"Here have your whore back." Ivan growled at Sadiq, throwing a slightly bruised Herakales at him and grabbing the blindfolded Arthur roughly from the upset Turk. Arthur wanted to tell his friend that he didn't blame him, that he would have done the same in his position. If someone had held Francis hostage, Arthur knew he'd do everything the captor demanded.

He felt himself being thrown onto Ivan's bed and then the blindfold was taken off of him and all he could see was Ivan and those scary demonic purple eyes. "I am very disappointed in you, Arthur." He stared into Arthur's iridescent green eyes before slapping him. "You've fallen in love! You're in love! How dare you fall in love!" Arthur brought his hand up to touch his red cheek. "You no longer love me!"

"I never loved you, Ivan!" Arthur spat out, "You are incapable of loving someone. Not like one human to another, not when you see us as merely dolls for your amusement!"

"Are you going to tell me that this love of yours didn't care that you've been a whore for four years?" Ivan asked, there was amusement in his eyes.

"Yes," and deep down inside him Arthur knew it was true. Francis never mentioned the past four years to him, never once called him a whore or bitch in all their numerous fights in the past month. Never show any inclination that he cared about what Arthur had been. He had just shown him love and compassion. And maybe he had just been using Arthur to get information about Lovino to find him, but Arthur didn't care, he loved Francis with all his heart, and he now swore that he would never whore again, not for Ivan, not for anybody. He only wanted Francis's touch, Francis's kisses, Francis's body. Arthur mentally slapped himself, he and Francis weren't even dating yet neverless sleeping together.

Ivan recoiled as if Arthur had hit him and the amusement that had filled Ivan's eyes was gone. Rage had replaced it. "You're an idiot if you believe he truly didn't care about what you've done?" he punched Arthur's chest dead on, making the Britt gasp for air. "He hates you, and he'll hate you even more for what I'm about to do. I'm going to make sure that you'll never trust him again." He punched Arthur's chest harder.

"You're wrong" Arthur said between gasps and gathered all his strength to knee Ivan in the groin.

"No, you're wrong." And Ivan grabbed Arthur by his throat. Arthur tried to claw at the man in a desperate attempt to escape him. He thrashed with all his energy, his body pumping adrenaline. He wasn't going to die here, he had to tell Francis that he loved him.

_Roxanne, you don't have to wear that dress tonight,  
>Roxanne you don't have to sell your body tonight.<em>

But just before the darkness, that had started to overtake his vision since Ivan grabbed his neck, over took him into a blissful oblivion; Ivan let go. Arthur took in a huge breath, silently praying that Ivan was done with him tonight even though he knew that his prayers would go unanswered tonight. Ivan was only beginning with him. Very swiftly he pulled down the black pants Arthur had been wearing. Immediately Arthur crossed his legs, if he was going to go down, he wasn't going down without a fight.

"_Neyt_," Ivan growled reaching over to his nightstand for the rope he always had. Then he grabbed Arthur's right leg and tied it to one bed post and grabbed the left one and tied it to the other bed post. Then he did the same to Arthur's hands. Very swiftly he pulled down Arthur's boxers leaving Arthur only his shirt to try to cover himself up with.

"Francis, I'm sorry." He whispered trying not to think about how much hurt and anger those blue eyes had held as the Frenchman warned him of all the things Ivan was capable. And Arthur had brushed him off, not because he didn't think Ivan would do those things to him, oh he knew Ivan would do those things to him, but because he didn't want Francis to think that Ivan was capable to doing those things to him. Though that was futile and stupid. And now he was paying for his stupidity, if he'd only allowed his pride to take a hit from the Frenchman then he wouldn't be in this position now. "I'm so sorry Francis."

_His eyes upon your face,  
>His hand upon your hand<br>His lips caress your skin  
>It's more than I can stand!<em>

_Roxanne_

As Ivan stroked his inner thighs, Arthur closed his eyes and imagined that it wasn't a silver haired Russian with demonic purple eyes touching him, but a French man with long silky blond hair and blue eyes like the sea that Arthur had gotten lost in more than twice. Francis would be gentle with him and whisper words of sweet nothing to him. "Francis!" He moaned as Ivan took him in his mouth. Oh God, please let that be Francis touching him like that, he could almost imagine it.

"So that's his name," Ivan said, Arthur's eyes flew open in horror of what he had done. He hadn't meant to give away Francis like that. And then Ivan bit down on Arthur's erect member, hard. Arthur screamed in agony and pain, squirming to get out of the grasp that was futile to get out of.

"Get away from me!" Arthur snarled trying to kick the Russian's face away from his inner thigh. The Russian bit down again on the now slightly deflated member and Arthur released another howl, he was pretty sure the whole damn brothel could hear him now, but there was no way Ivan didn't have back up to make sure no one interrupted him again.

"Become one with me."

"Never," Arthur spat

_Why does my heart cry?_

_Roxanne_

_Feelings that I can't fight?_

_You're free to leave me  
>But please don't deceive me<br>And please  
>Believe me<br>When I say  
>I love you.<em>

Why hadn't Arthur listened to him? Why did the Britt have to be so stubborn, couldn't he see that all Francis wanted was to love him the way that he had never been loved before. And maybe that was why the Britt ran away from him so much, because he was afraid of the love the Frenchman had for him.

Francis tried to keep his shakes down as he watched over his younger cousin who lay on in the hospital bed, unconscious. He had a concussion and the doctors were worried that he hadn't woken up yet. If only one good thing had come out of this night, it would have to be that Matthew was safe with those who loved him even if Lovino and Arthur weren't. Both Gilbert and Antonio were in the hospital room too, watching as Francis paced with anxiety. Why hadn't he ever told Arthur how he felt, why had he waited until it was too late? His thoughts drifted back to the events of the night. He and Arthur had driven to the docks in his car, arguing the whole way there about Arthur doing exactly what Ivan wanted.

_ "If I don't go your sister will be next. Can you live with that, Francis? I can't." Arthur said hitting his hand against the window for dramatic effect. Francis frowned, but kept looking at the road in front of him, he had to choose between his little sister and his love, which one would have to bare Ivan's wrath. The pain in his chest he now felt made him feel as if he would burst open and his heart would just fall out._

_ "I know, damn it! I just wish that there was something else we could do. I don't want Ivan to ever see you again. I promised to protect you!" Francis said his voice cracking with the impossible situation he now found himself in._

_ "I don't need you to protect me, I can take care of myself. I have been my whole life." Arthur said defensively, crossing his arms as Francis parked the car parallel to a black one with tinted windows. A tanned man stepped out of the driver side and walked around to the other side of the car, a pained look on his face. _

_ "Who's that?" Francis asked,_

_ "Sadiq, he won't hurt us." Arthur replied stepping out of the car. Francis followed him in the same suit._

_ "Arthur, I- he knew about Herakles and I." Sadiq said as if pleading for forgiveness, forgiveness that Arthur had already seemed to have given the man. Francis wasn't so sure he felt the same way though._

_ "I understand, this isn't your fault, its mine." Arthur said taking a step towards the black car and its tinted windows and away from Francis, much to the Frenchman's despair. His chest ached as he watched Arthur take even more steps away from him. "It'll be okay, Francis. I'll be fine." Sadiq opened up the back door of the car to reveal an unconscious Matthew and carefully took him out so that the blond didn't hit his head on the way out of the car. He passed him to Arthur who made a small oof sound before carefully putting him in Francis's arms._

_ "Arthur, I don't want you to do this." Francis begged, grabbing Arthur's arm preventing him from joining Sadiq._

_ "It'll be okay," Arthur said, Francis shook his head and pulled Arthur as close to him as possible with Matthew in between them and then leaned down slightly to kiss the Britt, only lingering there for a few seconds before pulling away. "Goodbye Francis," Arthur's voice cracked as he got into the car with the tan man._

_ "Arthur, I love you." Francis said knowing that the other man couldn't hear him now._

"Francis, Francis. Look Antonio, you need to take him home. He's only thinking about Arthur here. Go home, get some rest and we'll do something in the morning." Gilbert said, Antonio nodded and Francis sighed. He was out matched here, there wasn't anything else he could do for his cousin now, and all he could do was think about letting Arthur enter Ivan's clutches again.

"No, I need to stay here." Francis argued, there was too much of Arthur's presence at the apartment, the clothes that he had bought him on their shopping trip two weeks ago, the memories of cooking in the kitchen while the sandy blond watched him. He didn't let Arthur cook, it became quite clear during the first week Arthur had spent with them that the Britt couldn't cook and the food that he did make was entirely uneatable. So many memories made in such a short period of time, and they were memories Francis never wanted to forget.

"Francis, we need to leave. We need sleep, come on." Antonio said taking Francis's arms and pulling him towards the door to the hallway outside. He didn't fight that much, Antonio was probably just as worried about Lovino as Francis was for Arthur and it was probably killing Antonio that he couldn't go to the Russian Sunflower and kill Ivan for laying a hand on Lovino in the video.

_Yo que te quierio tanto, que voy a hacer?  
>Me dejaste… me dejaste como una paloma.<br>El alma se me fue; se me fue el corazon.  
>Ya no tengo genas de vivir porque no te puedo convencer,<br>Que no te vandas, Roxanne._

Goddamn his chest hurt so much from Ivan's constant punches. It was hard to breathe, and yet Arthur would not give in to him, would not 'become one with him'. Hours ago it felt, Ivan had found it fun to see how much he could rotate Arthur's right arm till there was a sickening snap and pain. So much pain from his arm and shoulder, that was now it was a dull pain, a numb pain.

Arthur was trying to relax in the five minutes Ivan had been gone, he had no idea why the Russian left him there with only sick promises to return. He wanted to gather what meager strength he had left for Ivan's next round of torture that he refused to break to.

And then Arthur saw the pipe, Ivan's faucet pipe that was his favorite weapon of choice. "You are ready, _da_?" the Russian asked smiling as he saw the fear in Arthur's eyes. And then the faucet pipe was shoved up Arthur's ass, and Arthur felt as if his whole body was breaking in two around it. He screamed and screamed until his throat was horse.

When Ivan pulled out the pipe it was covered in blood that kept oozing out onto the bed from Arthur's body. "Become one with me, _da_?"

"N-No," Arthur closed his eyes telling Francis his goodbyes in his mind; he wasn't going to make it through the night. That was impossible. Ivan kept hitting him with the pipe over and over again in different places till all of Arthur's body was black and blue and Arthur could barely breathe.

And then the beating stopped and Arthur felt himself being flipped over. He braced himself for the pain that was going to come. He knew what Ivan was going to do with him. "Are you ready?"

"Bastard," Arthur said raggedly, blood also coming out with his spit as he spoke. He wasn't sure he was going to last. And then Ivan shoved all of himself into Arthur all at once. And Arthur knew no more as his eyes rolled upwards. Death was welcomed.

_Roxanne, you don't have to put on that red light/ Why does my heart cry?  
>You don't have to wear that dress tonight Feelings that I can't fight.  
>Roxanne, you don't have to put on that red light Why does my heart cry?  
>You don't have to wear that dress tonight Feelings that I can't fight._

It was the sound of a car driving away fast that alerted Francis that something was wrong. He quietly got up from sitting on the couch just staring at the wall waiting for something, anything to happen; the sun to rise, Gilbert to call with more news of Matthew, something. Antonio had fallen asleep a while ago in the arm chair he was sitting in trying to stay up with Francis. To be honest he wanted to be able to fall asleep too, but every time he tried to he saw Arthur in his mind and he made himself stay awake as to not be haunted by what he had been unable to prevent earlier. Who could be driving away that fast at this early in the morning, he wondered silently padding across the floor, it was barely four in the morning. Just as quietly he opened the door and saw the broken Arthur lying on his doorstep. He was dressed only in the remains of the white button-up shirt he had been wearing earlier. But it was cut up and torn apart into so many pieces it was hardly covering anything His body was covered in bruises and his right arm was twisted in a way it wasn't supposed to be twisted in. "Arthur, Arthur, can you hear me? Arthur?" He pressed his ear to Arthur's chest to hear the faint heartbeat. "_Mon deiu_, Arthur!" He picked up the sandy haired blond, cradling him to his chest. He had to get him to the hospital.

"Antonio! Gilbert!" their names cried from his lips as he looked down at Arthur broken body.

"Francis, what's wrong?" Antonio asked jumping to his feet, he was a light sleeper and he probably hadn't been sleeping that well sitting up the way he was. "Oh my- Arthur."

"We have to get him to the hospital." Francis said, Antonio nodded grabbing his keys that hung off a hook beside the door.

"Francis," Arthur whispered, "I'm so sorry."

"No, no, I'm sorry, Arthur, I'm sorry, but hold on. We're going to get you help." Francis promised.

_Roxanne!_


	16. All Fall Down

All Fall Down

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or OneRepublic**

"Mattie!" Alfred said, hurrying to his brother's bedside. The blond lying in the hospital bed was hooked up to a heart monitor that beeped at a steady but slow pace. "Is he okay? Did Ivan do anything to him?" Alfred's ice blue eyes met ruby red ones as he looked up at his brother's fiancé Gilbert who was standing on the other side of the bed.

"Unconscious, but other than that the docs say he's fine." Gilbert replied stroking Matthew's hair absentmindedly, the man looked as if he didn't sleep at all last night. Big puffy purple bruises had formed under his eyes and the red irises lacked their usual spark. "I'm going to go back up with him to Quebec." Alfred nodded, Ivan Brangski was watching them. That much was obvious and now it wasn't safe to be alone. Unless, unless Arthur's trade released them from the psycho's wrath. Alfred tried not to think about the Britt being back in the Russian's clutches. He hadn't seen all of the video, but of what he saw of it, it was clear that the tall, silver haired Russian wasn't right in the head. The fact that Mattie had been kidnapped by him sent chills down his spine.

"What about Ludwig and Feliciano?" Alfred asked sitting down in one of the chairs in the room the hospital provided for an attempt at comforting the patient's family.

"I dunno, haven't really thought this through yet." Gilbert moaned, as he put his face in his hands. It was evident where his priorities had been for the last twelve hours. "Could you take care of them when I move with your brother to Quebec City?"

"Dude, I just got a new roommate, I can't bail on him." Alfred said, his new roommate, who was living in Matthew's now vacant room, was a quite Asian man who worked at the local grocery store where Alfred had first met him. At the time Kiku had been living in a homeless shelter, Alfred felt sorry for him and allowed him to stay at the apartment for almost free.

"Roommate?" Gilbert asked, Alfred nodded.

"Yeah, nice guy. He was homeless when I met him, so I gave him a place to stay till he's back on his feet." Alfred shrugged, Kiku was a gamer like he was and so they had stayed up all night playing Modern Warfare because Alfred couldn't sleep. The agreement worked out well for both of them and Alfred really didn't want to hurt Kiku by telling him he had to leave. Besides, Kiku wouldn't be moneyless for long, according to the Asian man he was close to getting back into his bank account.

"Does Matthew know?"

"About Kiku? Yeah, I called and asked before I offered him the room." Alfred looked around the room half expecting to see Francis and Ludwig to be there. "Where are the others?"

"Alfred," Gilbert's voice took on an even more somber edge then it had been previously, and his eyes didn't meet Alfred's. There was bad news headed his way. "Francis called me at about three this morning; he was on his way to the hospital in an ambulance with Arthur."

"Arthur?" Alfred felt his face pale at the mention of his cousin, who had traded himself to save Matthew and Monique from the wrath of that psychopath Ivan Brangski who had only come into their lives because they had done the right thing and had taken Arthur in. It wasn't Arthur's fault, Alfred didn't blame his biological cousin for a second about his brother's kidnapping, it was that sicko's fault.

"Someone, probably Ivan, dropped Arthur's mangled and broken on Francis and Antonio's doorstep around then. According to Francis he was barely alive and there was plenty of evidence of assault and probably rape." Gilbert continued he barely looked up at the honey blond man while he spoke.

"Is he alive still?" Alfred asked, clenching his fists. He had promised to protect Arthur, to protect his family and he was failing at it. He was being no one's hero today.

"I haven't heard anything to the contrary." Gilbert replied looking back over at the sleeping blond in the hospital bed. "Your parents are on their way back." Alice and Franklin Jones were on a Mediterranean cruise that had been paid for by Francis's parents five years ago, before everyone's lives fell apart. They had decided to take it now after Alfred and Matthew graduated from high school and moved to Montreal.

The hospital room's door slid open, "Has he woken up yet?" Francis asked as he walked in. Alfred almost had to do a double take on his step cousin; Francis hadn't looked this bad since Jeanne died. Alfred sincerely hoped that Arthur survived Ivan's brutal attack, if not for the fact that they were cousins, then for Francis's sake. The blond couldn't survive too much more tragedy.

"No, but the doctors aren't too concerned. They say everything's normal." Gilbert replied, Francis nodded. Silence filled the room till Gilbert spoke up again. "How's Arthur?"

"In surgery, they're concerned about some internal bleeding. They also called the police due to the extent of Arthur's injuries." Francis said brushing back some of his blond hair with the palm of his hand while blowing air out with exasperation.

"They'll want the DVD." Alfred said matter of factly, "And I suppose they'll want to ask Mattie questions." Gilbert nodded in agreement.

"They won't find Ivan though. According to Felix, he's got a mole in the police department." Francis said crossing his arms.

"Bastard," Gilbert swore.

"Don't yell, Gilbie." A horse Matthew said, his lilac colored eyes fluttering open.

"Matthew?" Gilbert said,

"Mattie, you okay?" Alfred asked, jumping to his brother's side while Gilbert grabbed the Canadian's hand. Francis settled for the end of the bed.

"My head hurts." Matthew said, replying to Alfred's question. He held his head and looked around the hospital room. "Where am I?"

"Montreal General," Francis replied.

"Arthur! You've got to save him! Ivan's planning on killing him." Matthew said sitting up suddenly and looking directly at Francis with a desperate look in his eyes that pained Alfred to look at. His brother should never look that desperate, it was another stab to the heart that he had failed his brother and his cousin.

"Mattie, he's here too." Alfred whispered,

"You rescued him?" Matthew asked confused laying back down again.

"_Non, mon cher_, Ivan dumped him half dead on my door step." Francis said softly, "The doctors aren't sure if he'll make it or not."

"Arthur shouldn't have taken the risk!" Matthew cried with horror.

"He wanted to, _cher_, he wanted to save you, to save Monique." Alfred glanced over at Gilbert whose jaw was now clenched and a look of hatred had sunk into those deep red eyes that were so normally full of laughter and love for his brother. It made the albino look savage; Alfred would have felt sorry for whoever was on the receiving end of that burning hatred if it had been anyone but Ivan Brangski. That bastard would get what was coming for him.

"Monique, she's grown into quite the girl." Matthew said with a small smile.

"I know," Francis closed his eyes and then opened them again; the traces of despair that had been worming their way into Francis's sapphire blue eyes were pushed back down below the surface. "I'm going to go check on Arthur's surgery. Wanna come, Al?" Alfred looked over at Gilbert and Matthew, he knew that the couple needed some time alone but he loathed the thought of leaving his brother at the moment. Not that Gilbert wouldn't take care of him or anything, it was just the whole idea of Matthew needing him and not being there.

"Yeah." Alfred said reluctantly and stood up.

Matthew watched his brother and cousin leave his hospital room to check on Arthur and his surgery. Ivan had beaten the straw haired blond till he had to have surgery and it was his fault because he had been weak enough to become the leverage Ivan needed. "Did-did you see it?" he asked Gilbert, turning his head to look at his albino lover. There was no need to say what Gilbert had watched, he knew the other man could infer what he meant.

"Yes,"

"I'm sorry." Gilbert recoiled away from Matthew as if the Canadian had just slapped him, Matthew had a couple of times during one of their many fights.

"No, you have nothing to apologize for. But Ivan, that, that," Gilbert seemed to be struggling for the word he was looking for, "Monster, he will pay." Matthew wasn't sure what to say to comfort Gilbert. At the moment he wasn't sure what to say to anybody to give them comfort. It seemed that in a matter of days their lives had crumbled again.

"Gil," Matthew said holding back the tears he now longed to let out.

"Yeah, _mein Liebling_."

"Hold me," Matthew felt the shift of the mattress as the weight on the bed changed due to Gilbert joining him on the white sheets.

"_Ich wu__̈__rde alles fu__̈__r dich tun_." Gilbert murmured into Matthew's hair and the Canadian felt himself relax at Gilbert's touch. He felt safe again, he felt as if Ivan was nothing but a nightmare now, as if he insane man couldn't touch him while he was locked in Gilbert's embrace.

"_Ich weiβ_." Matthew replied in the language he had learned in school to impress the man now lying beside and comforting him.

"_Schlaf, mein Liebling!_" Gilbert whispered as he ran his fingers soothingly through Matthew's silky hair and Matthew felt himself slip back into the abyss again.

"I didn't see the car, I heard it drive off. It was three o clock in the morning officer, and the neighborhood I live in is quiet usually at that time." Francis said he was sitting outside of Arthur's room and had been waiting for Alfred to finish visiting the Britt when the two officers came to question him, Alfred was now long gone but he was still sitting in an ugly upholstered light pink chair. "I went to the door and opened it, I guess you could say my gut told me to do it. Arthur was lying there; his white button up shirt was the only thing he still had on. His right arm was twisted. I thought he was dead." Francis took a deep breath as he spoke to the two officers, Officer Seragiv Mehai and his partner Nikolai Merengov. "I picked him up as I shouted for my roommate Antonio, he was sleeping, I think. Then I saw Arthur take a deep breath and he opened his eyes and told me he was sorry. Antonio called 911."

"Is there anything more that you can tell us that'll help your case?" Officer Mehai asked,

"Ivan Brangski kidnaps people and forces them into prostitution."

"And you know this how?" Officers Merengov asked in an accusing manner that Francis brushed off.

"He kidnapped my sister four years ago, and he kidnapped Lovino Vargas last summer." Francis replied Lovino's disappearance had made national news; it wasn't often that a kid just graduated from high school disappears so suddenly and without any warning. Especially with the blood spatters that had been found in the Vargas house where he had been last located. "Arthur was hired to work at the Russian Sunflower when he was fourteen."

"We'll have to double check that with Mr. Kirkland to verify that, you understand." Officers Mehai said jotting Francis's words down on a notepad.

"You don't actually believe him, do you?" Officer Merengov asked,

"I have a friend who's reported the same thing." Officer Mehai replied coolly to his partner. "I have a file as thick as an encyclopedia on Ivan Brangski in my desk. Yes, I believe Mr. Bonnefoy here." The other detective let out a small humph noise.

"Your friend is it Felix Lukasiewicz?" Francis asked as the two officers stood up and began to leave, Officer Mehai nodded.

"Please call us when Mr. Kirkland wakes." Francis nodded. The doctors said that Arthur wasn't out of the woods yet, that there was still a chance that he could still die, that Francis would have to face that void in his heart again.

Because Arthur was in ICU he was only allowed one visitor at a time hence the reason why Francis had been sitting outside the room waiting when the police officers showed up because Alfred had been inside. But Alfred was gone now, probably in his brother's room bugging him and Gilbert. Matthew would probably go home today or tomorrow depending on how the doctors felt but he would be okay. Francis knew that they wouldn't say the same for Arthur. That no matter what there would be some kind of damage they would have to work through.

He walked into the dark hospital room; the heart beat monitor made a steady beeping noise and the breathing machine made a sort of raspy noise, which was out of sync with the heart monitor, as Arthur breathed in and out. All these noises brought some kind of comfort to Francis for one reason; they meant Arthur was still alive, for now.

"You must wake up, _cher_. You need to open those beautiful green eyes." Francis whispered, leaning down to press a kiss to Arthur's forehead. "_Sil vou plait_," But Francis received no reply from the man in the hospital bed, no sign that Arthur was still alive besides the two monitors and the stead rise and fall of Arthur's chest.

Francis wasn't sure how long he sat in the chair at Arthur's beside begging God, Mary and all the saints that Arthur would wake up soon, that he would be okay. He could vaguely remember doing the same thing sitting beside Jeanne during one of her last days but those days were really all just one big painful blur to him. "Arthur, you are my rose, you have many thorns but you are also so beautiful and you just haven't realized it yet, my English Rose."

And through the raspy breaths of the breathing mask on Arthur's face came a single word "Francis."

_If ever your world starts crashing down,  
>Whenever your world starts crashing down<br>(Whenever your world starts crashing down)  
>That's where you'll find me<br>Lost till your found  
>Swim till you drown<br>Know that we all fall down  
>Love till you hate<br>Strong till you break  
>Know that we all fall down<br>_

**Author's Note (the part of the chapter where the author comes out and writes a silly note): So yeah, sorry about the late update, I had hoped to update much faster than this but life seems to have other ideas despite my best intentions. Damn it life, I have angry fans now. So anyway, yeah did you know that the use 911 in Canada as well as in the US? I looked it up cause I didn't want to be insensitive to Canadians and just use 911 and assume that they used it too. But they do, apparently it's a North America thing. I wonder do they have a number like that in Europe? It would be really weird if it was 707 in England cause then we'd all know that the terrorists are going for emergency service numbers. If no one can follow my train of thought, it's okay I'm off medicine. Haha, so yeah. Don't forget to review and just remember all flames are fed to llama gods that belong to my best friend. They're hungry, but I'd rather keep them that way.**

**Translations:**

_**Ich wu**__**̈**__**rde alles fu**__**̈**__**r dich tun:**_** I would do anything for you.**

_**Ich weiβ:**_**I know**

_**Schlaf, mein Liebling:**_** Sleep, my love**

**I don't feel like translating the others, I think we all know what they mean from reading too much Hetalia fanfiction. But if you have any comments or concerns let me know. Danke.**


	17. No More Sorrow

**No More Sorrow**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or Linkin Park**

The room was dark, but Arthur could hear a heart monitor somewhere in the background, the light from a hallway barely seeped in through the cracks of the shade on the glass door. Where was he? Arthur tried to remember anything before he had woken up in the hospital room and then memories seeped into his mind. Memories of Ivan and his rape flooded his brain and he couldn't make them stop no matter how much pain he felt for reliving them. He would probably relive them for the rest of his life. But why, Arthur wondered, why wasn't he dead? There was no way Ivan would take him to a hospital; it had been the Russian's intent to kill him after all. _**"Francis, I'm sorry,"**_ A vague memory of Francis's face in terror, saying his name repeatedly, calling for Antonio, and then… nothing, darkness. He had obviously taken to a hospital during the darkness, but where exactly was he and for how long had he been here? And where was Francis? Did Ivan know he'd survived? Would Ivan find him?

"Francis!" Arthur shouted beginning to panic as he imagined the Russian finding him and doing those horrible things all over to him again before killing him for sure this time. "Francis!"

A tan nurse, with two brunette pigtails that came down to about her upper back and were held together with two very big red ribbons, walked in, there was a worried look on her face. "Mr. Kirkland, you're in the hospital." Arthur didn't pay her any attention and tried to look past her for his blond love. Yes, he loved Francis, but could the Frenchman love him after everything that had happened to him? Could Francis look past the shame that he had been raped, that he was weak enough to allow someone to overpower him like this?

"Francis!" Arthur cried again. He had to see the stubble chin blond, he had to make sure that Ivan hadn't gotten to him to, that Francis was safe and that he himself would be safe too from the Russian's wrath.

"He's coming," The nurse said, "He just went to the vending machine."

"I need Francis," Arthur cried, "He'll come, he'll take me, he'll hurt me again." In his mind Arthur could see the tall, broad Russian walking through the door to his room, his metal pipe in hand and a demonic smile on his face telling Arthur he'd cooked up some new way to tortuchure him.

"Who, Mr. Kirkland?" the nurse asked.

"Arthur." Francis said, walking quickly into the room and dispelling the illusion of Ivan that Arthur had created in his mind. "It's okay, I'm here." His voice soothed the hysterical man that was now crying and hiccupping in the bed. Francis sat down on the bed beside him and held the smaller mans' hand while he attempted to open up a pack of Pop Tarts one handedly.

"I-I was af-afraid Iv-Iv-Ivan had-had hur-hurt you, tha-that he-he was-was com-coming for-for m-m-me." Arthur stuttered to the blond as the doctor walked in looking through a binder full of page protectors.

"Hello Mr. Kirkland," he said cheerfully, "You've given us all the scare these past few hours. I am going to have to ask you though that you keep your heart rate down. You're out of the woods but not that far, we don't want you to recess." The doctor flipped some pages in the binder and then smiled at Arthur. "Is there anything we can get you?" Arthur shook his head. His mind had already wandered back over to the Russian. Could Ivan find out he was in the hospital? Did he have someone watching everything like he did the Montreal Police Department? If Ivan found him there would be no chance of survival for him, not again, and Ivan wouldn't take any chances this time.

"Francis," Arthur croaked after the doctor and nurse left leaving the two blonds alone in the room together. Francis rubbed the back of Arthur's hand again and placed a small kiss to Arthur's forehead. As small as the gestures might have been to someone else, they meant the world to Arthur as they dispelled the illusions of Ivan once again.

"Yes, _mon Cher_," Francis said kissing Arthur's hand.

"Stay with me, don't leave me. Don't let him take me again." Arthur begged,

"I won't." Francis said, kissing Arthur's forehead again. "I promise." Arthur looked into his sapphire blue eyes and saw the traces of horror in them. Horror of how desperate and scared he, Arthur the punk off the streets of London, had become. He was not the same man that had left to face Ivan and rescue Matthew and Monique from Ivan's wrath. He had become a shadow of his former self, he was in pieces and he wasn't sure how he was going to pick them up.

Five men sat outside of a hospital room, all of them looking completely serious and determined. "I don't like the idea of putting civilians on the line like this." A pale man, strawberry blond man said. He was dressed in a police uniform and his radio would make static noise every so often. He was older than the other four sitting with him, perhaps five years or so with some of them. His arms were crossed and there was a tone to his voice that many other people, who were not so desperate as the others talking with him, would have backed down.

"It's the only way Seragiv, you've been trying for four years, this is your best shot. The mole, whoever he is, is good." Felix said, his normal nonchalant, valley girl attitude was gone and replaced with a much more serious cross dressing blond. Antonio let out a sigh; he'd be the only one really in danger by going directly to Ivan.

"I understand that you all have a personal stake in taking down this man. But none of you are trained professional and there's not enough time for me to train you." Seragiv replied stiffly and looked into each of the other men's eyes.

"We'll do this, with or without your help." Gilbert said, his voice was low and menacing. This new side to Antonio's normally playful friend scared the Spaniard slightly but it wasn't unwarranted, after all Ivan had Matthew kidnapped and almost raped. Officer Mehai let out a sigh of frustration.

"I could lose my badge."

'You didn't know a thing about the plan." Gilbert replied coolly, "Three hot shot college kids tried to take on a psycho by themselves and wound up dead." Antonio nodded and glanced over at Francis who had been unusually quiet throughout the whole conversation. The blond was staring into the hospital room they were sitting outside of.

Officer Mehai had originally come to get Arthur's statement of the events that had taken place the night of his rape. But right after they were finished Antonio had stopped the officer with an idea for a plan to take down Ivan. One that would have the police make a split decision raid so the mole couldn't warn Ivan ahead of time that they were coming. Officer Mehai or Seragiv as Felix called him wasn't too thrilled with the whole idea.

"How's Arthur?" Antonio asked, the Brit had woken up that morning at some point, but from what he had heard, the Arthur that had woken up was not the same one that he had known before. It was a fear he had for Lovino as well, that the Italian boy he loved would return but as a shadow of himself.

"Scared." Francis said with a sigh he put his head in his hands. "No, he's terrified, he's is so terrified that Ivan's coming for him it's hard to watch. I think that putting Ivan behind bars will the best way for him to heal." He barely looked over at Antonio while he talked, his eyes staying fixated on the darkened window behind the Spaniard's head. Arthur was obviously not the only one afraid of Ivan targeting him again.

"It'll take time, but Arthur will heal. Maybe counseling-"

"You've been talking to Matthew, haven't you?" Francis interrupted cynically.

"Not about you going to counseling."

"Hn."

**Three Days later**

Matthew was not happy with the plan. He had at least made that much obvious. It might not have been the best thought out plan in the world and it was full of risks, more so to Antonio and Francis than to himself though. He was just to wait in the car and call the police and Officer Mehai really. But still there was always a chance and he knew that.

Gilbert sighed as he laid up on the white three four seater couch, flipping through channels with the small black remote in his hand. There wasn't anything on, well nothing that sparked the albino's interest. Matthew had unawsomely locked himself in their bedroom and refused to open it until as he put it _Gilbert stopped acting like a fucken idiot and put an end to the plan_. He himself had then stood outside the door for a half an hour and unawsomely begged Matthew to come out.

_ "What if I don't return?"_ he had asked

_"It's your own damn fault."_ Matthew had shouted back, _"And don't you expect me to cry at your damn funeral either."_

_ "But you'd come."_ Gilbert had said in a playful manner hoping to somehow pascify the French Canadian's anger with him.

Well, Gilbert decided, as he stood up, turning the TV off, at least Matthew didn't start throwing things this time. He had been more than a little afraid that the blond would lash out like that after he began to react badly to the plan when Gilbert told him. Glancing down at the digital clock in neon green numbers on the black cable box that was on a shelf underneath the TV stand. It was almost five and he was meeting Antonio and Francis at the hospital at seven. He had about two hours to spare with nothing to do. Ludwig and Feliciano were on a date seeing a movie, he had asked his little brother to take the younger boy out so that he wouldn't find out about the operation going on, in case it failed. He didn't want to give the poor boy any false hope. Plus the younger Vargas brother had been on edge ever since accidently watching the video Ivan sent a week ago.

There was always laundry to do. He always got stuck doing the laundry, Ludwig cleaned, meticulously, and Feliciano cooked, pasta, and so he was left to do the laundry. And it had been piling up this week since he had been in and out of the hospital for the past week.

The first thing that Gilbert grabbed to put in the front loader washer was some sheets that had cum stains on them and they definitely didn't belong to him. Gilbert groaned as he pinched the white stained blue sheets between his thumb and forefinger, didn't those two have enough dignity to put their sex ridden sheets in the wash themselves? When he got his hands on them he was going to lay it in to them. Even when he was a teen he made sure to wash his own sheets if he had, had sex on them, that was also due in part of being terrified of what his grandfather would do if he found out that he was having sex but that was beside the point. Teenagers, really. He shoved the sheets into the washer machine, hoping for no more hidden surprise in the dirty laundry.

He stepped out of the laundry room, listening to the hum of the washer machine, the only noise that broke the silence of the normally noisy household. The silence was almost unbearable. He padded quietly down the hallway to his and Matthew's bedroom and put a hand on the knob about to turn it when he stopped himself. Matthew had made it pretty obvious that he did not want to see Gilbert for the rest of the night, but the albino wasn't sure he could allow that to happen. Guilt was eating at him too, guilt for making Matthew mad at him after everything that had happened in the past week, guilt for being such an awful fiancé. He felt weak and unawsome but he knew that if he didn't clear things up with the blond Canadian, it would be on his mind the whole night and that might get one of his friends killed.

"Matthew?" Gilbert said opening the door as he gathered his courage. The Canadian was laying on the bed, his face in the pillows.

"Go away, Gilbert." Matthew said, his voice was muffle due to the fluffy white materials underneath him.

"No," Gilbert said, "We need to talk about this; I can't leave without this being cleared up. I understand that you're scared, the last person who stood up to Ivan ended up severely hurt. I know you've gone to see him; I know that Arthur's changed. It scares me what happened to him, but we have to try. For Lovino and Monique, I know you don't want your cousin to live another second in that hell hole. Please, Matthew, I will come back, and I'll still be your annoying, prankster, can't take anything seriously Gilbert Beilschmdit." Matthew rolled over and looked at him, his eyes were red from crying and that broke Gilbert's heart.

"You promise,"

"I swear it," Gilbert crossed the room and sat down beside the blond.

"It's not just the plan, Alfred stopped by earlier while you were out. He's leaving for Russia in a month, says he wants to do some freelance journalism there. I asked him about his roommate Kiku, I think." Matthew twisted the comforter in his hands as he spoke. It came as a bit of a shock that Alfred was leaving for Russia in only a month, he had known that his future brother in law wished to leave Canada, wished to do freelance journalism but now after everything that had happened. Couldn't Alfred wait six months? "He said Kiku hacked into his inheritance he was supposed to receive and now was back on his feet. He's giving him the apartment."

"I'm sorry," Gilbert said quietly, he didn't like say sorry. His grandfather had, had a saying back when he was raising him and Ludwig; sorry was a sign of weakness. His grandfather had been someone that had been difficult to apologize to even if hadn't disproved of them.

"It's not your fault, Alfred will be Alfred and he'll do what he wants the rest of us be damned."

"Well, let's not focus on your brother, we have an hour before I have to leave, so what do you want to do?" Gilbert asked leaning over to kiss Matthew's big, pink lips.

"When I come back there won't be anything more you'll need to worry about. After tonight there will be no way that Ivan can hurt you." Francis promised as he sat on Arthur's hospital bed. The doctors said Arthur could be released, he was no longer in danger, the internal bleeding had stopped and there wasn't anything more they could do for him. They were recommending that Arthur see a counselor about what happened though and go through some therapy. His arm was in a cast and much to Gilbert and Alfred's disappointment he wouldn't let anybody sign it. But Francis didn't want Arthur out of the hospital till tomorrow; he had asked the doctors to let him stay one more night for observation, he really just didn't want there to be any chance Ivan could somehow get his grasp back on Arthur

"I know, it doesn't seem real that after tonight I won't have to worry about Ivan anymore." Arthur whispered. He had come a long way since first waking up Tuesday, but he was still clinging to Francis, though now there seemed to be more regret in his eyes about it then fear. He was now allowing other people to visit him and let Francis leave the room for brief periods of time so he could change, brush his teeth, eat, that sort of stuff. Kiku, Alfred's roommate, turned out to be a former coworker of Arthur's came by and they had, had a long talk that Francis had left the room for.

"I won't let that man touch you ever again." Francis vowed and not for the first time, though this was the first time he wondered who he was trying to convince himself or Arthur.

"I love you," Arthur whispered, "Please don't forget that."

"I wouldn't, never." Francis whispered, he softly kissed Arthur's lips. The first time he had dared to do that all week since Arthur woke up. Arthur kissed him back with more fervor then Francis had expected him to. When they broke apart he glanced down onto his watch. "I have to go, Arthur, but I'll be back tonight. Everything will be fine, you'll see." Arthur nodded and Francis stood up and walked out of the door.

Antonio was waiting for him and Gilbert in the parking lot. He stood outside of his red convertible, leaning against it. Gilbert was just driving up as Francis walked up. "We ready?" Antonio asked, Gilbert nodded.

"Matthew wasn't happy, but I think I've calmed him down." Gilbert said quietly as he hopped into the back seat of the convertible while Francis and Antonio climbed into the front two seats.

"Alright, then let's go." Said Antonio as he turned the key.

_Are you lost in your lies?  
>Don't tell yourself "I don't realize"<br>Your crusades a disguise  
>Replaced freedom with fear<br>You trade money for lives  
>I'm aware of what you've done<em>

_No, no more sorrow  
>I've paid for your mistakes<br>Your time is borrowed  
>Your time has come to be replaced<em>

**Author's Note (the part of the chapter where the author comes out a writes a silly note): Okay yeah I know I said that I wasn't going to update until the M rated purge thing stopped but I decided not to allow myself to be bullied by FFN, I'll keep publishing this story and if they shut me down then I'll find another way. I'm a smart cookie. So yeah, interesting stuff happening. This was actually supposed to be two chapters but the first chapter I didn't feel was long enough so I stuffed the second chapter in there as well. Thanks for all the encouragement and I'll let you know what's going on with the Russian Sunflower. **


	18. Had Enough

**Had Enough?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or Breaking Benjamin**

Lovino wasn't an idiot, he had no disillusions as to why he had been brought to Ivan's office by Im Yong Su not even five minutes after his performance, obviously whatever had been done to Arthur wasn't enough for his sadist boss now Ivan would torture him too and dump his body on Antonio's door step as well. Well they all at least assumed that Ivan had dumped Arthur dead on Francis's and Antonio's door a week ago, according to Sadiq, if Arthur wasn't dead at that point he soon would be. Monique cried when she heard the news, Arthur had been her protector the past four years, the one that had defended her and all the other sex slaves here from Ivan's wrath, who would protect them now? Lovino didn't want for the sandy blond Britt to be dead, as many rough edges as the older man had, he was a good friend and did not deserve the life he had been given.

Lovino looked around Ivan's office, there wasn't much to it, a brown desk filled most of the room, a black swivel chair was pushed in behind it and behind that to the right was a filing cabinet and a window. A window that would be easy to escape out of, a voice in Lovino's head said. It had to be a trap, a trick of some sort, Ivan was leading him into a sense of false security and the moment he moved towards the window the Russian would walk in and then say that Lovino was trying to escape and that deemed a punishment of some sorts. It sounded like something his father would have done, and Lovino had fallen for enough of his tricks he wouldn't fall for Ivan's as well.

The door handle turned and Lovino jumped to see who was behind it. Slowly the door creaked open to reveal… Antonio? Lovino's heart leapt as he saw the Spaniard, without even thinking and dropping all presences and shields he would normally put up Lovino ran to him and found himself in safe arms once again. "Antonio," he said his body shook with anxiousness. "How did you find me?"

"Toris tipped me off, we're here to shut this place down." Antonio said taking Lovino into his arms. Lovino found a pair of needy lips on his and he met his lover's need with his own.

"We?" Lovino asked breathlessly as he pulled away from Antonio, the Spaniard nodded looking very serious, more serious than he ever should be. He was a dopy idiot who danced the tango and put a spell on his audience and then couldn't find his way back to the locker rooms.

"Francis, Gilbert and I along with a cop from the Montreal Police Department." Antonio said,

"Is Arthur okay? Ivan didn't keep too quiet about what he did." Lovino asked quietly, he wasn't sure if he was ready to hear the news about his friend but he had to know.

"No, he's leaving the hospital tomorrow. He is to be on bed rest and relax for the next couple of weeks, the doctors are also pushing therapy, but he should be okay. Especially after we take Ivan down." Antonio said brushing some of Lovino's shaggy hair out of his face. "You look so handsome _mi corazo_

_n_."

"Ah, so Mr. Kirkland managed to survive somehow, I can't say I am surprised by this turn of events, he has always had a way of defying the odds. I guess once I'm done with you two I should pay the hospital a visit and finish the job." A humored voice said behind Antonio. It made Lovino's blood chill and the hairs on the back of his neck raise. Antonio pushed Lovino behind him so that he was between his love and the tower Russian who had just entered into the door way behind him.

"This is the end of you Ivan Bragnski, soon the Montreal Police will show up and your little operation here will be shut down and you will go to prison for a very long time." Antonio threatened stepping forwards towards Ivan, Lovino watched as his lover had a show down with the dangerous man. But the silver haired man only smiled his child like smile.

"The game had to end someday." Ivan said nonchalantly, it almost sickened Lovino to see the man act so calm about the whole situation, his heart was racing trying to figure out what the tall man's next move would be. "But if I am to sacrifice something so will you." Ivan took a step in the room and pulled out a silver gun from his long, pale trench coat that he always wore and he pointed it at Lovino. "I really hate to have to break my toys." Toys, Lovino felt himself go cold, this man regarded as nothing, merely a toy for his amusements. What kind of sick bastard was he? He had heard all the horrible things he had done to Arthur but Lovino thought, well Lovino wasn't sure what he thought, but it wasn't that he didn't believe the stories either, because he knew that Ivan was capable of those vile acts, but he just hadn't connected the dots, hadn't wanted to. He didn't want to even think that his fate had been in the hands of a psychopath.

"Ahhg!" shouted Francis from behind, his arms just barely wrapping around the Russian's torso to prevent movement on Ivan's part. "You won't hurt anybody else after this." Ivan threw him off and Francis went flying towards the wall to the right of Lovino and Antonio.

"Francis Bonnefoy," Ivan said turning the gun to the blond man who was getting back on his feet. "You're the one who stole him from me. He cried your name out while I was trying to teach him a lesson. He wasn't supposed to cry your name out; it was supposed to be mine!" Lovino watched as Francis's eyes filled with a hatred he had never seen before.

"He is not yours. He is free to love whomever he chooses and you cannot force yourself on to him." Francis said calmly, there was an underlying threatening tone to his voice, but it was hard to pick up if you had never heard the Frenchman threaten anybody before.

"He is mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!" Ivan said stamping his foot on the ground like a child who was not getting his way every time he said the world mine. Then a psychotic glint entered his eye and he turned the gun from Francis back to Lovino. Lovino wished Antonio was two feet closer to him so that he could hold him. "They're all mine."

"No," Lovino said, "No I'm not yours, Bastard, I never was yours." Ivan's eyes hardened as he looked at Lovino and the Italian wondered to himself whether he should have spoken out or not. But someone had to set the record straight, Ivan Brangski did not own him, not even Antonio owned him but the Spaniard was the only one who came damn close enough.

"Then, if I cannot have him, no one can." Ivan said calmly and Lovino heard the sound of the gun going off, he felt himself crumble to the ground. He could faintly hear Antonio screaming his name, police officers rushing in. A thousand things ran through his mind, things that he wanted to tell people, things he wanted to do. Regrets. Why couldn't he tell Antonio he loved him at least one last time?

There was a pain in his chest, a hot, burning pain that threatened to consume him. It hurt like nothing else in his life and then the merciful darkness consumed him.

_You had to have it all  
>Well have you had enough?<br>You greedy little bastard  
>You will get what you deserve<br>When all is said and done  
>I will be the one to leave you in your misery and hate what you've become.<em>

_Intoxicated eyes, no longer live that life,  
>You should have learned by now, I'll burn this whole world down<br>I need some peace of mind, no fear of what's behind  
>You think you've won this fight, you've only lost your mind.<em>

**Author's Note (the part of the story where the author comes out and writes a silly note): This chapter is not nearly as long as I wanted it to be but I had to end here, I could not combine two chapters again. The next chapter with any luck shall be longer, please don't kill me for this cliff hanger. So I just want you to know that I am writing a sequel… I haven't decided if I shall finish Spanish Carnation first or after, that project for whatever reason has gotten away from me. I have sprinkled hints as to what the name is for the sequel so give me your thoughts.**

**Please Review and remember all flames are fed to my best friends llama gods.**


	19. Haunted

Haunted

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

Arthur was extremely grateful to Kiku for giving him money without asking questions. It wasn't in the Japanese man's nature; Arthur couldn't say the same for Kiku's roommate and Arthur's own cousin Alfred. But Alfred wouldn't notice the money missing, it was Kiku's money. Money he had "earned" while working at the Russian Sunflower, the computer genius had been able to hack into Ivan's bank account, one of many the Russian had, and steal money out of it without even leaving a trace and Arthur sincerely doubted he'd even know it was gone because with any luck after tonight Ivan would be behind bars. But he had to leave soon, before Francis came back. The doctors were willing to discharge him, there wasn't much more they could do, he was patched up physically at least and he wasn't a danger to himself. It had been Francis after all who insisted that the doctors observe him for one more night and Arthur knew exactly why. Ivan couldn't touch him in the hospital, too many people and security cameras, and after tonight hopefully if everything went well, he would never have to worry about Ivan ever again. And that was also why tonight was the perfect night to leave. The doctors had begun enforcing the no visitor rule with him so everyone had gone home or were at the Russian Sunflower trying to rescue Lovino and get Ivan arrested which meant that Arthur was free to check himself out of the hospital without too many questions asked.

He had to leave, he had to get away and he needed to do it by himself. He felt weak and broken, he was not the same man he had been a week and a half ago before Ivan had raped him. He couldn't, wouldn't burden Francis and the others with a weaken state of himself, they had lives to live and he was still burdened by the past. The psychologist who had come to visit him earlier in the day told him it was perfectly normal to feel weak and broken right now and that it would get better with time if he allowed himself to open up and trust people, two things he had a hard time doing even before he was raped, right now the only people he actually trusted was Francis, Kiku, Matthew, and Alfred. It was no way to live life, but Arthur also knew that he would never move on if he didn't get away from Montreal, and he couldn't make Francis and the others leave their lives based off of his own selfish needs. So he had decided a few days ago that he would leave, he wanted to go to somewhere, elsewhere, while he waited for the visa to Europe, he wasn't sure where he would go in Europe but he wanted to go back and recuperate there. Maybe even somehow start a new life, one better than what he had already experienced.

"Arthur, where are you going?" Michelle asked her hands were on her hips and there was a displeased look on her face as Arthur pulled on the pair of shoes Francis left for him to wear tomorrow. Michelle had been his nurse for the past week he had been in the hospital; he had gotten to know her very well. She had one of the biggest hearts of anyone he had ever met, and she was so strong. She had fought off cancer when she was a teenager and had decided to become a nurse because of it. Arthur had hoped that she had already gone home for the night as to avoid a confrontation with her. She would not want him to leave; she would want him to stay. But he couldn't and she would make him feel guilty. Yes he was being a coward leaving this way, not giving Francis or any of the others a proper good bye. But wouldn't this be better? He really hated goodbyes, really hated the guilt that the others would make him feel, at least this way they wouldn't know that he felt guilty for leaving them.

"Out, I'm leaving." Arthur replied curtly, not looking into Michelle's brown eyes as he spoke. It took all his will power not to pull off all his clothes, put the hospital robe back on and give Kiku back the money and say screw his plans. But he had to, he had to leave, had to stop being a burden. That's all he'd ever been. He started out being a burden to his brothers till he left for America to be a burden on his aunt, instead he became a burden to the other original members of the Russian Sunflower, none of whom were working there anymore. They had gotten too old according to Ivan, then when he escaped, he became a burden to Francis. He had to stop, he had to learn how to take control and to take care of himself. He had to stop seeing Ivan wherever he went.

"You haven't been discharged." Michelle replied,

"Dr. Coleman signed my discharge papers, they were processed." Arthur sniffed, "Francis made a deal to keep me here another night." Silence encroached, and Arthur looked around the sterile room except at the nurse standing in front of him.

"So then, where will you go?" Michelle's voice took a sharp turn from accusing and angry to soft and more like the nurse she had been to him all week. _"Everything will be alright Arthur, you can get through this."_

"I don't know yet. But I'm leaving Canada, don't- don't tell Francis, please." Arthur took a deep breath and picked up the sealed envelope from the tray-table thing, he didn't know what to call it. "When- when they come tomorrow to pick me up, just- just give them this." One of the other nurses had given him the paper and envelope needed to write his message to them. He gave Michelle the white material and felt as if a large burden had been taken off his chest.

"Arthur, I don't think that this is a good idea. Rape victims, male or female, heal better with people they love supporting them." Michelle protested, but her words fell on deaf ears. Arthur had made up his mind.

"I am too weak, too vulnerable, too dependent on them. I'll never heal if I'm leaning on people." Arthur argued and then walked past Michelle and out of the hospital room door missing the nurse's last words to him.

"I hope you're right Arthur, I really hope that you're not making the biggest regret of your life." She said as she watched him walk down the hall and out of her sight.

Arthur sighed as he waited for the bus that would take him to the train station. He felt vulnerable sitting outside the hospital like this but the bus would be here soon. It came every fifteen minutes until eleven and it was only nine-thirty. It would be here soon. Arthur repeated that mantra over and over again. He tried not to think about how easy it would be for Ivan to find him just sitting here on this bench, there was no way Ivan would find him. Ivan was going to jail tonight thanks to Antonio and Francis and Gilbert, they would make sure that the Russian would never hurt anyone ever again.

An ambulance came screaming around the corner towards the hospital, lights blaring and going way too fast for the speed limit. Arthur wondered absentmindedly who the person in the ambulance was, who the poor soul was that had to be taken to the hospital that way. Of course that was how he too had arrived here. Did that person have people to lean on while they healed, or would they have to do it by themselves? Imagining who the person was distracted Arthur from his worries.

A vehicle stopped right in front of Arthur and the Britt looked up to see the bus he had been waiting on for the past five minutes. He stood up and climbed up the steps not looking back at the hospital, and trying his damned hardest not to think about everything he was leaving behind.

"His BP is dropping!" the ambulance attendant said to the other as they scrambled to stabilize the man lying on the gurney in front of them. He was losing blood fast, too fast; it would be a miracle if he survived the gunshot wound. Two other men sat in the ambulance with him, one was holding onto a crucifix tightly, mumbling words that were incoherent to everyone but him and the Lord above. The other gazed at the other side of the vehicle silently. The ambulance came to a stop and one of the attendants growled irritably till the bay doors opened and everyone could see that they had arrived at Montreal General Hospital.

"What do we have?" one of the attendants at the hospital asked as they lowered Lovino down to the street.

"Gunshot to the chest." The ambulance attendant said, "He's losing a lot of blood and we can't stabilize him."

"We're going to need to prep an OR." The hospital attendant said as Antonio and Gilbert stepped out of the ambulance. Antonio's clothes were stained with Lovino's blood. "Sirs, I'm going to have to ask you to wait in the waiting room till he gets out of surgery." Gilbert nodded but Antonio made no sign that he had heard the attendant as he watched the doctors wheel Lovino away.

"Is he okay?" one of the ambulance attendants asked Gilbert.

"That's his fiancé," Gilbert explained,

Antonio wasn't sure what he'd do if Lovino died, when Lovino left him six months ago Antonio thought he would die then. The only thing that had prevented him from doing such a thing was that Lovino was still alive and that he needed his help. And now Lovino might die and there wouldn't be any way for Antonio to help him. Antonio needed Lovino to keep air entering his lungs, to keep the muscle in his chest to keep beating. Sometimes it felt that Lovino was his whole reason for living. "We seem to visit this place a lot." Gilbert said, the albino man was with him in the waiting room as they waited for news about Lovino's surgery.

Antonio did not reply, he just kept staring at the carpet underneath their feet. There wasn't many others in the waiting room. Matthew was going to be joining them soon, Gilbert had called him and Francis was at the police station working things out with the cops about releasing Monique and the other prostitutes. He was sure Felix was probably there as well. It would be a while before they would be able to join them in the waiting room. "He's going to be okay, you know." Gilbert said, "Lovino. He's a fighter and he's strong. He won't give up this easily." Antonio looked up with desperate eyes.

"If he doesn't- if he doesn't I can't live without him. I'll die without him." Antonio said his voice raspy.

"No you won't, jeesh, you're becoming as overdramatic as Francis." Gilbert reasoned, Antonio shook his head.

"I won't live without him." Antonio looked over to see a mix of shock and horror on his friend's face. They had already had to worry about Francis becoming suicidal when Jeanne died, Antonio knew that his death would devastate Gilbert, but couldn't he understand where he was coming from? Could he live without Matthew?

"No, I won't let you. I won't let you do that. We didn't let Francis when he was at his worst and there's no way in hell we'll let you." Gilbert said, "Lovino would rise from his grave and haunt Francis and I if we let you do that. Besides, Lovino isn't going to die. He'll survive you can't give up hope." Antonio said nothing, he wouldn't argue with his friend.

"Guys," Matthew said walking into the waiting room, he looked as if someone had just died and Antonio thought his heart was going to give out. The Canadian held an opened envelope in his hands. "It's Arthur, he's gone."

"What?" Gilbert asked,

"The nurse, the one he had all week. She stopped me at the front doors, said she had tried to talk him into staying. He got on a bus a half hour ago, said he wouldn't tell her where he was going." Matthew shook his head.

"Why would he do such a thing?" Gilbert asked enraged. "How could he do this to Francis?"

"Mr. Carriedo, you are the ones here for Mr. Vargas, correct?" a doctor asked coming to sit beside the group in the waiting room. Antonio nodded waiting for the news that would shatter him.

_Watching me, wanting me,  
>I can feel you pull me down,<br>Saving me, raping me, watching me._

_Watching me, wanting me,  
>I can feel you pull me down<br>Fearing you… loving you  
>I won't let you pull me down.<em>

**Author's Note (the part of the story where the author comes out and writes a silly note): (The author begins by dodging all the fruit being thrown at her for being late and then ending with a cliff hanger) I blame UEFA and mission work. I was out last week doing mission work for the city I live in (not telling you stalkers which one) and then I was watching UEFA. Go GERMANY! So anyway sorry for being so late. Only one more chapter and then… the epilogue. Will Lovino wake up? How will Francis take the news of Arthur's departure? Will everyone get their happy ending? (Okay there's no way I can do the coming up next time stuff, I feel like bursting out laughing right now).**

** Don't forget to review and remember all flames a sacrificed to the spitting llama gods. (That should be a school's mascot the Spitting Llamas).**


	20. Someone Like You

**Someone Like You**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia**

"Gone?" Francis choked grabbing the wall right beside him, he felt as if his knees were about to give out from right under him. How could Arthur do this to him? How could he just leave like this? "Gone." He repeated, the word sinking into his head. Gone. Arthur was gone and he couldn't bring him back, couldn't rescue him, because he did not want to be rescued anymore.

"Francis, I'm sorry." Matthew whispered, "He- he left this for you." He handed Francis the envelope.

Francis stared at it for a few minutes, just looking at it, trying to decide if he wanted to know what Arthur's last words for him were. How could he have been so stupid? How could he have thought that his life would go back to be fine once he had Monique back, that he would have everyone in his life back? He had Monique back, his baby sister whom he would protect with every fiber in his body if need be. She was sitting right beside him looking as shell shocked as he did.

Finally, Francis pulled the letter out of the envelope; the others had already read it, most likely.

_Dear Francis,_

_ I am sorry that our parting had to happen this way. I thought it would be better for both of us if I just left quietly. A clean break, we'll both move on better this way. I need to find myself again, find a way to trust others again. You don't deserve a broken man, you deserve someone whole and healthy. I am no good for you and I think we both know that. One day you will understand this if you don't already._

_ Tell the others goodbye, I will miss them all. This has been the closest I've ever had to a real family and I will treasure my memories with you all for the rest of my life. This has been the happiest I can ever remember being and it was thanks to them and you. You were the first man I have ever loved and you may be the only one I have ever loved. _

_ I will miss you the most though. But I have to do this. It is best for us. I love you._

_Your English Rose_

_Arthur Kirkland_

Arthur thought he was broken? Thought that he deserved better? Francis's hands shook as he put the letter down; Arthur had never asked him about any of this, he had just made his own assumptions without finding out the truth. Francis had never seen him as broken, a little battered and bruised, but not broken. And if Arthur wanted Francis's opinion he would say that Arthur deserved someone better than him, not the other way around. He had signed it with Francis's name for him, as cliché as it sounded, Arthur reminded him of a rose. Beauty hidden behind a thorny past. He had hoped that somehow he could lessen the thorns of his rose, but it seemed that his efforts had only made more grow.

"Are you okay, Francis?" Monique asked putting her arms around him. Francis leaned his head back against the wall and nodded, making sure not even one of the tears fell from his eyes. He wouldn't cry, Arthur had while writing the letter if the tear stains were anything to go by, but he wouldn't.

"Yes, I will be." Francis said softly folding the letter back up and placing it back in the envelope. "I will be fine." Monique looked hesitant as if not quite sure she believed him, but she said nothing more on the subject. Francis felt numb and cold on the inside, the same way he had after Jeanne's death and his mother's suicide. His heart was freezing over once again, and this time Francis was sure that it would never thaw again.

Francis knew that this couldn't have been a split decion on Arthur's part. He would have had to prepare for it. He must have been thinking about it for a while, why couldn't he have seen the warning signs? He had been with Arthur right before he left for the Russian Sunflower, but nothing had seemed out of the ordinary yesterday. He would never have guessed that, that would be the last time he would see Arthur. And yet Arthur knew that it would be their last good bye.

"God dammit, I wish there was something we could have done, something that would have stopped him from leaving." Gilbert cursed, slamming his fist into a wall. "That son of a bitch."

"Gilbert!" Matthew cried, "stop. It's not worth it. He's gone and there's nothing any one of us could do."

"I know that, but how could he do this?" Gilbert growled,

"I don't know, but putting dents into hospital walls is not the response needed." Matthew fussed. Gilbert nodded and sat down again. "Let's focus on Lovino getting better." The blond Canadian jerked his head to the hospital room they all sat beside. Antonio was inside the dark room sitting beside his lover who was fighting for his life. A position Francis had been in not too long ago.

"He'll get better." Francis said, "He has to." Their small group couldn't take anymore tragedy today.

The world was black, cold, and unfamiliar, it was like a tunnel that he had once been in on a vacation with his parents in Boston one time before his mother's death. They had been on the subway and there was a tunnel that ran under the ocean from one side of the bay to the other. It was dark, the only light came from inside the train itself until you came close to the other side of the tunnel and then you could see the sunlight and the sky again. It was a beautiful feeling and one Lovino had never forgotten. And then, suddenly he heard her, she was calling his name. He could see her waving to him from the end of the tunnel. "Mother!" He shouted, turning and running after her. "Mother," but no matter how much he moved his legs he didn't seem to be moving any closer to the end of the tunnel or towards his mother.

He felt as if he had been running for hours just trying to move in the pitch black tar he was stuck in. And then there was a flash of white light and he was in a garden, sitting on a bench. A woman was humming somewhere among the flowers, humming the way his mother used to when she would tend to her garden. Nothing remained of it now, time and his father's anger had destroyed it. "Mama," he called out, he had seen her in the tunnel.

"Hello Lovi, my big strong man." She said popping out from behind one of the azalea bushes. She looked the way he remembered her from his memories. Dark brown hair like his, and his hazel eyes as well, Lovino had always been a reminder to their father of what they had lost. He ran over to her and wrapped his arms around her body, promising himself to never let go. Her arms wrapped around him and he felt his mother's warmth for the first time in ten years.

"Mama," he said, "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, sweetie. You've gotten so big while I was away." He had gotten older, that was for sure, but he was by no means big. Both he and Feliciano had inherited their mother's petite ness. "Come sit with me on the bench." She motioned for Lovino to sit on the stone bench he had just been sitting on. "Did you take care of your brother?"

"Yes, I promised you I would. I tried my hardest Mama, I really did." Lovino said,

"I know, and I'm so proud of you." Romina said before kissing her son's temple. "And I'm so sorry about your father. He was a good man you know." Lovino said nothing, he hardly regarded that man as his father now. "So when's the wedding?" she laughed as Lovino looked at her confused.

"Wedding?"

"You and Antonio." She said, Lovino looked down at the brick path below, his cheeks were tinged red as he thought about his Spanish lover. Antonio, Antonio, Antonio. Lovino couldn't get enough of his name. They would never be separated now, Antonio had come for him had rescued him from the Russian Sunflower, and then Ivan had- Ivan had- the blood drained from Lovino's face as he reached down to his chest.

"Am I dead, Mama? Is that why you're here?" His heart raced at his mother's response, he had to know. He couldn't leave Antonio like this, he hadn't gotten a chance to say good bye.

"No, you are very much alive. And you must go back, Lovino. You have to go back and have your future with Antonio." Romina said, there was a hint of sadness in her hazel eyes as she spoke. "You have to wake up now. It'll be all right. I promise." Then she kissed Lovino's forehead again and the garden disappeared along with his mother.

He could hear a male voice, it started out as a buzzing in his ears and it gradually turned into coherent words. A prayer, someone was praying for another person's safety and wellbeing. But why? That voice sounded a lot like Antonio's. Why was the happy go lucky Spaniard crying? He wasn't supposed to cry. He wanted to reach out and tell Antonio that everything was going to be okay, whatever everything was, but his arm wouldn't move. A sharp pain then began to spread from his chest and seeped into every part of his body like it was a part of him. It burned, like he was on fire and he wanted to scream out, but no sound would emit from his mouth. What was going on? Why couldn't he wake up from this nightmare? _"If I can not have him, no one can."_ Ivan's voice played in his head and then the sound of a gunshot. He had been shot, by Ivan.

Someone grabbed his hand, Antonio maybe. "Lovi, please, please wake up. Please." Antonio begged. "Wake up," His voice sounded more and more desperate as he continued to beg. He could hear his mother's gentle voice telling him to wake up too.

"Antonio?" Lovino mumbled, his hazel eyes gently blinking open only to be greeted by harsh white lights from the room's ceiling.

"Lovino? You're awake!" The Spaniard jumped up and ran out of Lovino's vision for a second. "Guys he's awake!" So there were more people waiting for his slumber to end.

"_Fratello_!" he heard Feliciano shout, and then his auburn haired little brother he hadn't seen in six months ran into his vision and was beside his bedside. "_Fratello_, I'm sorry, it's all my fault, if I hadn't asked for those paints Father never would have been able to sell you to Ivan. It's all my fault." Lovino was a bit taken back by his brother's ramble; he had never blamed Feliciano for what had happened to him. It had been Feliciano's art supplies and his father, the mother fucking bastard, had no rights to sell him into prostitution.

"Feli," Lovino whispered, "I don't blame you. I never did." He watched the water works spill from his brother's eyes as the younger Vargas brother bent down to give Lovino an awkward hug trying to avoid his brother's wound.

"Feli, I don't think your brother is ready for hugs yet." Matthew said with a small smile and Feliciano let his brother go.

"I'm going to go tell Luddie you woke up." Feliciano said, practically skipping out of the room.

"I never got to thank you." Matthew said his eyes were staring at the wall, not meeting Lovino at all. "For protecting me when Ivan kidnapped me. I don't know what I would have done if that bastard had touched me. You're so strong, Lovino." Lovino would have shrugged if he could. He hadn't done anything all that special.

"You learn how to cope, how to put it all behind you and not think about it." Lovino said bitterly. "How's Monique?"

"She's with Francis at the moment helping him deal with things." Matthew looked uncomfortable, more than he had before. Violet eyes met hazel. "Arthur's gone."

"What?" Lovino asked, confused. When had Arthur left, it sounded last night that he was still here?

"He left sometime last night while Antonio and the other were rescuing you. Said he had to find a way to make himself whole again and- He's left Francis a mess anyhow." Matthew shook his head. Leaving didn't sound like Arthur, he was stronger than that, but then the Britt might have had all he could take. He had been raped by Ivan numerous times, but Lovino was sure from what he heard that it had never been as brutal as last week. Even Arthur had a breaking point.

"What will happen to the others?"

"Well, Kiku escaped with Arthur and somehow broke into Ivan's accounts and stole some money, so the police don't really know about him. Toris isn't supposed to be here in Canada, but they're ruling him as a kidnapping so he'll probably go back to Lithuania. I imagine the others will break a deal or something. Officer Mehai isn't a bad person and he's good friends with Felix." Matthew said, "I think Monique will be going to France to live with her and Francis's grandparents, I heard the two of them talking. Francis says that they'll be able to take care of her better over in Europe. I don't think she was too happy about it." Matthew rubbed the back of his neck.

"Oh," Lovino said, his vision was starting to become blurry as he slowly fell back into the realm of dreams again.

When Lovino woke again, it was only Antonio in the room though he could hear Feliciano chatting outside with somebody. "Good morning," Antonio cooed as he leaned over the Italian. Lovino growled in response but it lacked his usual bite.

"Antonio," He whispered raspy,

"Hm?" The chocolate haired man asked,

"I love you."

_Never mind,  
>I'll find someone like you,<br>I wish nothing but the best for you too,  
>Don't forget me, I beg,<br>I'll remember you said,  
>Sometimes it lasts in love,<br>But sometime it hurts instead,  
>Sometimes it lasts in love,<br>But sometimes it hurts instead._

**Author's Note (the part of the story where the author comes out and writes a silly note): Happy Fourth of July to those who celebrate. The fireworks in my neck of the woods were pretty cool I must say. To those who celebrated Canada Day, happy Canada Day, I know that was Sunday when I watched Italy lose to Spain. I had been routing for Italy (didn't want to see Spain win for a third time, sorry Antonio). Anyway there will be one more chapter (I know I said that last time but then I had this awesome idea for another chapter) and then comes the epilogue. There will be a sequel (I don't know how many times I've told you guys and it will star a different couple then Spain/Romano dun, dun duh! (Gasps are heard from the audience,) You don't have to read it if you don't want to, but it might be a while before I'm able to publish it so in the meantime I am working on another fic, its historical and stars America and Russia during the Cold War. If you want to go check it out, it's called Heartless. If not, that's okay too I guess. Now we'll stop the advertisement for other fanfics and end the author's note. Don't forget to review and don't forget that all flames are fed to the Spitting Llamas (the coolest school mascot yet).**


	21. Unchained Melody

Unchained Melody

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or Unchained Melody**

It was the sound of the shower running that woke Antonio up from his slumber. Still half asleep he rolled over to wrap his arms around Lovino, it was too early to wake up. But his hands reached out only to grab empty space. His eye brows furrowed as he cracked open an eye to find the room still dark, the street lamp was still lit outside the apartment building, Lovino never woke up that early. He was a late riser, and not much of a morning person as it was. So what was his lover doing up so early? He hadn't been out of the hospital very long and he was still unable to do a lot without Antonio's help, the bullet thankfully hadn't done any lasting damage to Lovino's lungs but it had been a close call. "Lovino?" he called out as he rolled over and stood up. There was no reply, but he doubt anyone could have heard him over the sound of the shower. Softly he padded over to his bedroom door and quietly pushed it open and walked across the hall to the bathroom. "Lovino?" he asked again knocking softly on the door as to not wake up their roommate, Francis.

Still no response, frowning, Antonio turned the door knob and opened the bathroom door. Now he could hear Lovino's cries that had been drowned out by the sound of the shower. Why was he crying? Had he done something wrong? Antonio quickly crossed the room and pulled back the shower curtain. Lovino was lying at the bottom of the tub, curled up with a lufa in his hand as he scrubbed away at his thighs. "Lovino, are you okay?" Antonio asked reaching out to take the blue shower device away from him.

"Don't touch me!" Lovino shouted hoarsely, Antonio recoiled back unsure of what to do. Tears began to fall from Lovino's hazel eyes faster. "I'm dirty, I'm no good, don't touch me." He repeated the mantra over and over again and Antonio wondered how long his love had been thinking such horrible things about himself.

"No, no you're not. I love you." Antonio said trying to reassure the distraught man. But Lovino only shook his head and kept on crying.

"I can feel them, their hands all over my body, their lips, their-" Lovino let out a loud wail unable to say the word that Antonio knew he was going to say. The Spaniard shook his head and ignored the freezing water that was still pouring down on Lovino and pulled him up.

"No, it's not there anymore, I promise." Antonio said helping him out of the shower. "I'm here now; I'll make them all go away." Lovino nodded as Antonio pulled out a fuzzy brown towel from the cabinet below the sink. He wrapped him up in it like a mother would a child before turning off the shower itself. When he turned to look at Lovino who was now sitting down on the toilet seat, he was no longer crying.

"Damn it, I'm turning into Feliciano now." Lovino said looking up into Antonio's green eyes. Antonio looked back at him; Lovino's hazel eyes had always memorized him. They were so easy to get lost in, and he did a lot. And sometimes when he looked in them, his breath was taken away from how stunning his Lovi was.

"You could never; you and Feli are just too different." Antonio protested, gently kissing Lovino's lips. His love nodded in acknowledgement and pulled out the simple diamond ring that he wore on a chain. Antonio thought back to when he had given Lovino that, and in a way that little ring had been the cause of all their problems these past few months.

"I'd understand if you didn't want to marry me." Lovino said quietly forming a frown on Antonio's face. It was not Lovino's fault that all this had happened, and it wasn't really the ring's fault either. If he had only been there with Lovino when they told that homophobic bastard about their engagement he could have swept Lovino away and taken him far away where his father couldn't touch him. Not that Lovino would ever have to worry about Octavious Vargas ever again, the police had arrested him for being part of a prostitution ring right after Ivan's arrest.

"I love you Lovino Vargas, in sickness and health, in good times and in bad. I will always love you." Antonio said without batting an eye and he knew from the look in Lovino's hazel eyes that his lover believed him and that made him the happiest man alive. He leaned down and kissed Lovino's lips again, this time it was not as gentle as before, there was a passion built up in this one that had not existed in their previous kiss. Lovino wrapped his arms around Antonio's neck, the towel slipping away from his drying body and he wrapped his legs around Antonio's waist. Antonio slipped his hands underneath Lovino's butt and carried him out of the bathroom.

Somehow, and Antonio wasn't sure how they managed it, they made their way back to their bedroom without breaking their kiss or waking up Francis who was still asleep like a normal human being. Antonio pushed Lovino onto the bed and began to attack the Italian's crazy curl, that just happened to be his erogenous zone, with his mouth. Lovino moaned, his hands traveling down Antonio's chest to the hem of the t-shirt he work to bed and trying to pull it over Antonio's head. "Ah~" Lovino moaned as Antonio took the whole curl into his mouth. "An-to-nio!" White sticky cum shot out of Lovino's member and landed all over Antonio's chest. The Spaniard just chuckled and let the piece of hair go while pulling off his shirt. He looked down on his Italian lover, Lovino was laying out for him in all his naked glory, his cock only slightly deflated from his previous actions, his breath was coming in short pants and his hazel eyes were glazed over in lust and desire.

"Lovino," Antonio moaned as he rolled off of him, what was he doing? He was taking advantage of Lovi, what if the boy didn't want this because of everything he went through, what if he felt like he had to do this for him? Antonio didn't want to pressure him into doing anything. While Antonio was mulling in his thoughts the Italian sat up, looked over at him and frowned.

"What's wrong, bastard?" Lovino growled,

"I- Are you sure you want to do this? I don't want to force you into this, don't think you have to have sex with me right now. I'd wait forever for you if I had to." Antonio declared, but his declaration only made his lover's eyebrows furrow.

"If I didn't want to have sex with you do you think I would have let it get this far?" Lovino growled angrily, "Now get over here and fuck me or I'm going to go over there and fuck you." Something inside Antonio woke up at Lovino's words and he grinned lazily up at him and used his right index finger to beckon the brunette to come over to him. Lovino rolled his eyes but obliged his lover and crawled over to him with a smirk on his face. The Italian crawled on top of him and started to grind his crotch into Antonio.

"Lovino!" It was Antonio's turn to cry out as his already hard member became throbbing painful underneath his turtle boxers. Lovinio smirked and slowly pulled off the offending article of clothing, his moves tantalizing leaving Antonio's mouth dry as he watched his love's mouth get closer and closer to his crotch. And then his painfully hard cock was engulfed by a warm, wet cavern that made his back arch in delight. "Lovi!" Antonio moaned gripping the sheets of the bed as Lovino's head bobbed on it. "_Oh, Dios, no deje de_." Antonio cried going back into his native tounge his brain was shutting down too much to be able to speak in English anymore. It had been far too long since he and Lovi had been intimate.

Lovino smirked as Antonio came into his mouth, but Antonio didn't care he just was grateful for the relief. "Suck," Lovino said holding three fingers up to Antonio's mouth, Antonio's green eyes widened, he wasn't kidding when he said he would fuck him. Antonio accepted them into his mouth, who knew that a half hour ago Lovino was crying in the shower because he was dirty? Was Lovino trying to over compensate for that?

"Stop," Antonio said letting go of Lovino's fingers. "Stop Lovi," the man scowled at him, not that Antonio really could blame him, he had stopped them twice now. "If we're going to do this, we're going to do this right. I don't want to fuck you; I want to make love to you." Lovino growled in annoyance. "You are still weak from your injury; I'm not going to have you hurt yourself."

"Fine, bastard whatever, have it your way." Antonio nodded and leaned upwards to kiss Lovino's lips. He wanted to make love, to show him that he cared for him. When the fight with tongues was over Antonio lightly pushed Lovino off of him and back onto the bed before proceeding to lightly kiss Lovino's chest. Just as he reached Lovino's navel he pulled away and groped for the nightstand looking for the bottle of lube he had stashed there.

"I love you, Lovi." Antonio whispered as he doused his fingers with the lube and spread Lovino's legs so that he had full access to Lovino's puckered hole. Then he gently pushed one in and began to push on the cavern walls. He didn't want to hurt Lovino, his lover had been through enough of that. And then he slipped one more in and began to scissor the inside of Lovino trying desperately to find his prostate. Lovino didn't look as if he was in pain, yet. But Antonio wanted to give him some kind of pleasure from all of this.

"'Tonio!" Lovino moaned after a few pokes and prods telling Antonio that he had found that pleasurable spot. "More!" Antonio chuckled to himself as he watched Lovino pant harder as he continued to press that spot. The man underneath him squirmed, desperate for some friction between the two. And then Antonio pulled out his fingers.

"Are you going-" Antonio asked as he was lining up to push into Lovino.

"Will you stop worrying over my well-being and fuck me already." Lovino growled, it was a miracle, Antonio mused as he pushed in earning a very loud moan from Lovino, that Francis hadn't woken up yet. That man could sleep like the dead, that or he was being very polite about the whole thing.

"Silly Lovi," Antonio cooed, "I'm not fucking you, I'm making love." He then pressed his lips onto Lovino as to silence anymore loud moans that would be emitted, better not to test Francis's deafness or patience. He pulled out till only his tip remained inside Lovino before pushing back in a little faster then he wanted and hitting Lovino's prostate dead on. Lovino's nails drove into Antonio's back but he barely felt them. His mind was fogging over as he thrusted in and out of his lover his body getting ever closer to a climax.

"Anto-!" but that was all Lovino managed to get out before he spilled out all over their stomachs and Antonio wasn't far behind him.

"I love you Lovi." Antonio cooed as they bathed in the afterglow of sex, neither one of them really wanting to move from the others presence to clean up.

"I love you too, Antonio." Lovino whispered and pressed a small kiss to Antonio's cheek. It was very much a different Lovino then what most people saw and Antonio couldn't say that he wasn't happy that hardly anyone else got to see the more sensitive side to Lovino. He was just too cute, and he was all Antonio's. Antonio smiled at him and laughed slightly.

"God we are going to be tired in the morning." He said with a chuckle and put his hands over his eyes, he had classes tomorrow and he really couldn't risk missing anymore, the university was already sending him warning letters.

"What time is it?" Lovino asked and Antonio sat up slightly as to not disturb the blanket too much that was now covering them.

"Four in the morning."

"This is your fault, bastard." Antonio let out a few more chuckles as he brushed Lovnio's hair back.

"Whatever you say, mi tomate." He cooed again and Lovino just sighed, rolled his eyes and turned so that his back was now facing Antonio. "What?" Antonio whined. Lovino was quiet for few minutes before he rolled back over, a desperate look in his eyes.

"Hold me." He whispered, and without even blinking Antonio wrapped his arms around the man curled up against his stomach and hummed his mother's lullaby till the younger man fell asleep.

_Oh, my love, my darling  
>I've hungered for your touch,<br>A long, lonely time._

_And time goes by so slowly,  
>And time can do so much,<br>Are you still mine?_

_I need your love  
>I need your love<br>God speed your love to me!_

**Author's Note (The part of the chapter where the author writes a silly note): So I wasn't sure about posting this particular chapter for two reasons, the first were those silly little purge thing that was going on at the beginning of the summer and the second was the song I chose for this chapter. As much as I absolutely adore this song and I think it fits Antonio and Lovino perfectly it is also the song my parents danced to at their wedding and so playing it around my Mom still upsets her (my parents divorced a little over a year ago). And so I have some bittersweet feelings about this song. But anyway, on an even sadder or happier note depending on how you look at this, this is the last real chapter of the Russian Sunflower, there will be a two part epilogue. And while you are waiting for my sequel to come out which I imagine will probably be a while due to band season about to start up again you should go check out my latest story (shameless self-advertising here) Heartless which is a RussAmerica taking place in the middle of the Cold War. While writing this story I fell in love with the pairing but didn't think it was right to try to work that pairing into this story (I made Ivan too sick). I want to thank my best friends for their constant support of reading some of my drafts and letting me bounce ideas off of them. Anyway, don't forget to review and remember all flames are sacrificed to the llama gods. I really need to work on trimming down these author notes I think sometimes they're longer than the actual chapter itself.**


	22. Epilogue: Walk Part One

Epilogue (Part 1): Walk

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or the Foo Fighters**

Blue skies, the sun, that soft breeze that made everything blow but not move violently that you had to worry about it. It was the perfect wedding day Lovino mused as he straightened the white tux he wore looking himself over in the mirror. He thought back to where he had been a year ago, miserable, just recently broken up with Antonio, living with Alfred and Matthew too afraid to return home due to his homophobic bastard father. Since then he had experienced so much with the drama with the Russian Sunflower. He deserved this one day of happiness, they all did. "Ve~ _Fratello_ you look handsome." Feliciano said poking his head into Lovino's dressing room. "It's almost time for you." Feliciano was walking Lovino down the aisle as they had no one else to do it for him, not that Lovino wanted anyone but his brother to do so. Lovino knew that he would do it in a few years when Feliciano would marry that damned Potato Bastard.

"_Gracis_." Lovino replied checking himself one last time in the mirror before following his brother out of the door and into the hallway waiting to walk into the chapel so Father Remus could marry him and Antonio. Through the windows in the door Lovino could see Matthew and Monique his two maids of honors walking down the aisle already. Monique had flown to Quebec from Paris where she was living with her grandparents just to be in the wedding. Her brother, Francis, stood beside Antonio at the altar, his blond hair pulled back into a ponytail and a carnation as his corsage as it was one of the flowers in Lovino's bouquet, he smiled and looked happy, but his blue eyes lacked their normal sparkle an effect of Arthur's disappearance. Beside him was Matthew's soon to be husband Gilbert, grinning like an idiot as they waited for him to walk through the double doors. Lovino could also see Mrs. Carriedo sitting beside her husband dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.

"Are you ready, Lovi?" Feliciano asked and Lovino took a deep breath before nodding and Feliciano opened the brown doors as Pachelbel's Cannon in D minor begun to play and it was time for Lovino to walk down the aisle to his husband and future with him leaving behind him the bastard he called father, being sold into prostitution, and his days at the Russian Sunflower despite so many of his new found friends from there attending his wedding. It was the start of a new beginning for him as he gazed into Antonio's brilliant peridot green eyes that told Lovino just how much he loved him.

Father Remus, the priest from their home town conducted the ceremony smiling as he joined two of the members of his church in holy matrimony. "You may recite the vows." He said nodding to Antonio first.

"I, uh, I uh tried to write out what I should write but the words wouldn't come to me. So this is straight from the heart, Lovi." Antonio said chuckling as Lovino's cheeks turned red as Antonio called him by his favorite nickname. "In the past year we faced a lot of challenges and sometimes I feel when I look back on it that it was all fake, not real. But this, our wedding, our love, it doesn't feel fake. I want to be there always, to hold you through your nightmares, and to protect you from any more pain because you've dealt with enough pain to last a life time. And I hope, Lovi, that you will always share your burdens with me and not hide anything from me because I want to help you always." Lovino blinked back a few tears as he listened to Antonio speak from the bottom of his heart.

"The night I woke up in the hospital and I had ordered you to sleep, Gilbert came in and he told me that you had told him." Lovino indicated to the two best men that stood beside his soon to be husband. "That you said that if I didn't survive the surgery that you would die with me. And I know that I never thought anyone really cared that much about me before then. And now I know that you would risk your life for the safety of others, especially those you care about. Thank you, Antonio, for caring that much about me." Lovino chuckled as he watched the tears fall from Antonio's eyes.

"I love you, Lovino." He whispered.

"Antonio Ferniand Carriedo, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Father Remus asked,

"I do," Antonio said whipping away tears.

"Lovino Julius Vargas, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do," Lovino replied nodding while he spoke.

"Then by the power vested in my from the Lord above I declared you husband and husband. You may now kiss." And Lovino took Antonio into his arms and kissed him with as much passion as he had in him while everyone behind them cheered.

* * *

><p>"So," Gilbert said as he sat in between Matthew and Francis at the wedding table at the reception watching people dance on the dance floors. Antonio was out dancing with his mother but Lovino sat on the other side of Matthew drinking wine. "Mattie, when are we tying the knot?"<p>

"I'm not sure I'm ready." Matthew said quietly, "I like just being engaged for now."

"Well, that's fine for me." Gilbert responded with a hearty laugh. "What are you going to do know, Frannie?" Gilbert slapped Francis' back much to his blond friend's displeasure. Lovino shook his head as he watched the best friends.

"I'm leaving." Francis said in almost a whisper.

"Where?" Matthew asked leaning over Gilbert's plate to look at his cousin. "Why?"

"France, I was offered an internship there and a spot at one of their academy's for theatre." Francis said, "I want to be closer to Monique." Lovino watched as the distance in Francis's blue eyes became further and further away as he talked about the future. Arthur's disappearance had hit him harder than he was letting on normally. He hadn't seen those blue eyes look that distant since Jeanne died.

"Congratulations." Gilbert said,

"I hadn't told anyone because I wanted it to be a quiet thing. I'm just going across the ocean." Francis said with a shrug.

"Can we tell Antonio?" Gilbert asked frowning, Francis nodded.

"When are you leaving?" Lovino asked finally speaking up.

"With Monique."

"So soon?" Matthew said frowning with his fiancé.

"My apartment's already packed and the land lord is collecting the lease tomorrow." Francis said, Antonio had moved out of the apartment he had shared with Francis for a year a month after Lovino had been released from the hospital.

"Wow." Gilbert said, "We'll miss you buddy." He slapped Francis on the back again. Lovino watched as Matthew got angrier with his cousin.

"Were you not going to tell us?" he asked,

"_Non_, I didn't want anyone to think that I was leaving because I was sad and upset that you're all moving on with your lives." Francis said, "This is my way of moving on. I am going to miss you guys."

"We're going to miss you too, _mi amigo_." Antonio said a smile on his face. "Good luck to wherever you're going."

_A million miles away  
>Your signal in the distance<br>To whom it may concern_

_I think I lost my way  
>Getting good at starting over<br>Every time that I return_

_I'm learning to walk again,  
>I believe I've waited long enough<br>Where do I begin?_

_Learning to talk again  
>Can't you see I've waited long enough?<br>Where do I begin? _

**Author's Note (the part of the story where the author comes out and writes a silly note): Oh gosh, wow, there's only one more of those for this story. And I bet you are wondering what else I can write an epilogue on. (Smile evily) You'll just have to wait and find out. I always planned for Lovino and Antonio to get married at the end of Russian Sunflower, it kind of seemed like the story had come full circle, the whole reason they all ended up in the mess was because Lovino decided to tell his homophobic father who had connections to a prostitution ring (who knew right) that he was getting married to a man. And I love the idea of Feliciano walking Lovino down the aisle. Anyway don't forget to review and remember flames are sent to the llama gods.**


	23. Epilogue: Walk Part Two

Epilogue (Part 2): Walk

Steady beeping, the sound of a heart monitor, Arthur told himself as he blearily entered into the world of the light. He heard footsteps and an unknown language being spoken around him. Why couldn't he understand them? Where was he? Arthur tried to peer into his memory only to find darkness, why couldn't he remember anything? What did this mean? "Who-who am I?" Arthur asked when he was able to find his voice. More gibberish in another language and then a tall blond man with a scary demeanor and cold blue eyes appeared beside him.

"My n'me is Dr. Ox'stern', c'n yo' t'll m' anyth'ng yo' r'memb'r?" The man Arthur presumed was the doctor, asked with a strange accent. He had a clipboard in one of his hands and a pen in another and he didn't meet Arthur's eyes when he spoke to him.

"No, I don't remember anything. What's going on?" Arthur asked frantically sitting up to see the white walls and hospital machines that surrounded him, how long had he been here?

"Yo' h've amn'sia." Dr. Oxistenrna said calmly flipping something on the clipboard. Arthur didn't know what to think, didn't know what to say to the blond, stern doctor above him. He felt numb, it was as if his mind was a chalk board and someone had just taken an eraser and erased everything on it.

"Amnesia?" Arthur tried to go back into his mind and desperately tried to remember something of his past, to prove the doctor wrong, but it was no use. It was as if a thick, black wall had appeared in his mind. "How do you know?"

"Bra'n sc'ns." the doctor replied, his voice wasn't cold but it wasn't caring either. It was just delivering facts. Arthur wondered how many amnesiac cases the older man had seen. "Th're's sw'lling in the fr'nt l'be."

"Is it permanent?" Arthur asked wondering if there was anyone out there looking for him.

"W' d'n't know." The doctor said shaking his head as he spoke. "C'n yo' t'll us yo'r n'me?"

"Arthur, Arthur Kirkland." Arthur said, somehow he knew that was his name instinctually. A silky voice seemed to whisper it in his ear as he told the doctor, filling his body with a warmth that he hadn't had since he woke up.

"Th't's a go'd st'rt, Mr. K'rkland." Dr. Oxisterna said as he wrote something down on his clipboard.

"Where am I? What happened to me?" Arthur asked trying to look out the window only to see rain beating down onto the glass.

"Copenh'g'n, D'nmark. Yo' w're in a c'r acc'd'nt." Arthur nodded, both men the room turned to look at the brown door as it opened.

"A car accident? Denmark? Is that why I don't understand anyone else?"

"It c'uld be. I 'm th' only 'ne wh' spe'ks w'll eno'gh Engl'sh h're." he said, Arthur raised one of his huge eyebrows. If Dr. Oxisterna was the only one who spoke well enough English he'd hate to hear the others attempt to speak the language.

"What do I do now?" Arthur asked putting his head in his hands. He was a John Doe practically, he knew no body, obviously no one was looking for him, he couldn't remember a thing of his previous life.

"I w'll se' if I c'n f'nd yo' a pl'ce to l've. 'nce yo' 're w'll eno'gh to le've th' hosp'tal." Arthur nodded, grateful to the good doctors help. He was a nice guy even if he at first came off a bit scary. "M' ro'mm'tes m'ght kn'w s'mewh're yo' c'n l've."

"Thank you." A man with sapphire blue eyes and slightly past the shoulder length blond hair with stubble on his prominent chin entered his mind suddenly, he was someone important to Arthur, but for the life of him, Arthur had no idea who the man was.

_Do you remember the days  
>We built these paper mountains<br>And sat and watched them burn?_

_I think I've found my place  
>Can't you feel it growing stronger<br>Little conqueror_

_Learning to walk again  
>I believe I've waited long enough<br>Where do I begin?_

_I'm learning to talk again  
>I believe I've waited long enough<br>Where do I begin?_

__**Author's Note (The part of the story where the author comes out and writes a silly note): Please don't kill me! (dodges the rotten tomatoes thrown out at her by angry fans). All the epilogues were doing was setting me up for the sequel. Yes I said sequel. I know I've mentioned it before, and I believe I mentioned that it would focus on another pairing beside Spamano. For those of you who a glad that Antonio and Lovino got their happy ending and don't care about Francis and Arthur then we part as friends and you don't have to read the sequel. For those of you who do want to find out what happens to Arthur now that he's lost his memories, the sequel will focus on those two characters with other pairings that we haven't seen before thrown in (Monique will get a pairing, promise). It's called My English Rose and it'll be some time before its out due to marching band and school starting. Thank you for reading The Russian Sunflower, I hoped you have enjoyed as it was an interesting piece to write.**

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	24. I'm back

I'm back

I have posted the first chapter of the Sequel to the Russian Sunflower, My English Rose. In case you've forgotten it's a FrUk sequel not a Spamano. My first FrUk, yay! Please go read, and thank you again for reading the Russian Sunflower.


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